Celestial Sisters
by Fangirl-Karla
Summary: Leto, the hidden one, and her sister Asteria, the starry one, are young titans. The two are as different as light and dark but their fate is intertwined in way that goes beyond blood. As they journey in different paths and face Olympians, Underworld deities and more, the sisters are tested. Can love change fate?
1. Chapter 1

The forest at night was always her favorite place to be. The darkness helped her move without being noticed, that way nothing disturbed her path. She was especially thankful, for it was a new moon. Selene was asleep and that meant complete and utter darkness, just the way she liked it. It was a night like this that she could fully escape other's attention. The cold breeze caressed her pale skin, and played with her dark brown curls. They had grown she noticed, soon they will reach her waist. She smirked as she remembered when her sister had cut them in envy. Asteria was so impulsive sometimes.

"What are you thinking about, child?" She gasped as she recognized the voice, spinning around in her heal she was face to face with Nyx. Leto shivered in fear.

"Lady Nyx, tis an honor." Leto whispered as she knelt before the powerful deity.

Nyx let her remain kneeling as she walked around Leto. She eyed the young goddess. Her form wavered as if she weren't really there, blending smoothly with the night before completely materializing. When she did, Leto withheld another gasp, for the deity before her was of immense beauty. Her skin was dark blue, and her body twinkled as stars adorned it. Her hair was long and of the same dark blue as her skin. Only her eyes were black.

"Stand, child." Nyx ordered, her voice held power. Leto rose, slowly.

"Be not afraid, my visits are always brief." Nyx said a smile on her lips. Leto returned the smile before looking at her bare feet. She waited for Nyx to state the reason for her appearance. There's always a reason, she thought. Unconsciously she touched the necklace she wore. A chain, holding a pendant with black wings engraved on it. Minutes passed and finally Leto got the nerve to look at Nyx once more. The sight she saw was curious. Nyx floated before her. Since her legs disappeared into the night, only her head and upper body were visible. Her eyes twinkle as she concentrated on the sky. Leto followed her gaze, but without the moon, not even the stars shone brightly.

"Beautiful…" Leto whispered, once again feeling safe in the dark forest.

"Thank you." Nyx replied. She sighed, as if already bored and tore her gaze from the sky.

"Erubus misses me, so I'll make this quick." She continued, her hands disappearing as she spoke.

"What is it you wish to say, all mighty Nyx?" Leto asked, barely audible, but Nyx heard her.

"Child, I heard of my son has affection towards you, and now I see clearly the pendant you were." Leto's eyes opened wide in surprise. She clutched the pendant afraid that she would lose it. Nyx glared at the gesture. "I've come to warn you, Leto, daughter of Coeus and Phobe." Now only Nyx's neck and head were visible.

"Hurt my son, and you will feel my wrath." Nyx's last words held venom that Leto had never heard before, not even from Hera. She cowered before the Goddess' head. Nyx said nothing more; she glared at Leto once more before completely disappearing into the night. A silent breeze swept Leto's hair, tangling her curls.

"Lady Nyx?" Leto whispered, looking around her. She saw nothing. Everything was black. Darkness surrounded her. She looked up before remembering that tonight there was no moon. Still clutching her pendant, Leto sat on the forest floor. She trembled, afraid that Nyx would suddenly appear again. For the first time in her life, Leto wished someone would find her.

"Where have you been?" Asteria questioned, once she saw Leto return home. Her silver hair shone as she eyed her little sister.

"The forest." Leto mumbled, before stumbling onto her bed. She had spent the entire night huddled in the same spot, afraid to move. She couldn't sleep so when Eos brought forth the dawn, Leto quickly left the forest. Now she was back home in Kos.

"You shouldn't have left the island." Asteria pointed out. "I felt the change, someone visited you." She said as she clutched the bridge of her nose. Leto ignored her.

"You always know, Asteria, no one can escape your sight." Leto said sleepily. She took off her muddied dress and covered herself with a blanket.

"Well, with the starts as my eyes, I can't really ignore what they show me." Asteria yawned. She stretched her arms before standing. She looked at her sister seriously, worry on her brow.

"You know, new moons are dangerous. My sight isn't as good and Selene isn't there watching, if something were to happen to you, no one would come to help." Asteria stood over Leto's bed waiting for her to answer. Leto sighed.

"I know, I know, don't tell mother." Leto pleaded sleepily. Asteria scoffed.

"Who can hide anything from that woman? I eat pie for breakfast, she appears out of nowhere: Asteria, I had a vision! If you eat pie for breakfast again, you will have no suitors for the rest of your life!" Asteria wailed as she imitated her mother's voice. Leto giggled. Asteria joined the laugh, she then sighed, suddenly annoyed.

"Though, she hardly has visions about you. Lucky, miss I'm the goddess of hidden things." Asteria scowled, she waited for Leto to respond but she had already fallen asleep.

"Typical." Asteria muttered. She scratched her hair, now that the night had left it was turning platinum blonde. She proceeded to make breakfast. Halfway through making some porridge, she heard a knock on the door. Her heart beat rapidly in anticipation. She ran to the front door and opened it without a second thought.

"Perses?" She squealed in excitement. She searched for her lover but saw no one. "That's odd." She muttered as she searched once again with her gaze but found no one. Asteria stepped outside to see if Perses was hiding behind a tree, but found nothing.

"That's disappointing." A deep voice said from behind her. Asteria squeaked. She turned around, only to find Zeus before her. She frowned.

"What's disappointing?" She asked haughtily. Zeus chuckled at her response.

"That you were expecting someone other than me." He said in a matter of fact tone.

"Why would I wait for you?" Asteria countered. Zeus ignored her words.

"I came to see your mother." He said, taking a step towards the house. Asteria placed herself in his path, so that he could not enter.

"She's not here." She said.

"Then I'll wait for her." Zeus said, stepping around her.

"I don't know when she'll return." Asteria once again placed herself between Zeus and the house.

"She'll know I'm here soon enough. Now, if you'll kindly invite me inside." Zeus sighed, raising an eyebrow. Asteria hesitated before letting him enter the house. She wished she could tell him to leave, but you can't say no to the king of the gods; even if they were the same age. Zeus entered the small cottage, as if he owned it. He made his way to the kitchen and sat at the front of the table. Asteria eyed him cautiously and offered him porridge. Zeus declined and instead took a peach from the basket of fruits on the table. Asteria took the chance to excuse herself. She ran to her room, and shook Leto awake.

"Leto! Leto!" She whispered desperately. Leto moaned as she tried to swat her sister away. "Wake up!" Asteria hissed. She took her pillow and beat it over Leto's head. Feather's spilled out of it and covered the room.

"Ow!" Leto protested. She got up with her own pillow in hand, ready to defend herself.

"What's your problem?" She complained groggily.

"My problem is that Zeus, All mighty Lord of the sky, is here in Kos, inside our cottage." Asteria had to bite her lip as to not yell. Leto gasped in surprise and hurried to dress herself.

"Hurry!" Asteria urged before leaving the room.

Leto got dressed in a flash, she didn't bother to tidy her messy hair, or clean the mud off her face. She entered the kitchen expecting Zeus, to be preaching or bossing her sister around. Instead she found him sitting on her father's chair. No one was supposed to sit there. The chair was left there in honor of their father, who constantly maintained the earth on its axis. Zeus was eating fruits from the table and talking to Asteria. Who, Leto noticed, was very annoyed. She hadn't seen her like that since Leto's own hair had been blonde. After Asteria had cut it in a fit, it turned into the dark brown that it now held.

"Ah, Leto, am I correct? Please join us." Zeus exclaimed, as he noticed her presence after a few minutes. He then ignored her completely and continued to speak to Asteria.

"You see, I cannot comprehend why the two of you live in this meager island, when you can be leaving like the princesses you are in Olympus." Zeus concluded. He stopped his speech in order to take a bite out of an apple.

"Well, Lord Zeus, maybe my sister and I prefer the comfort that the island and it's forest offer." Asteria spoke slowly, making sure her voice sounded pleasant, but her eyes sparked, suppressing her anger.

"So Leto, my sister, do tell us about your visit to the forest last night." Asteria suddenly said, cutting Zeus' next question. The young god turned his attention towards Leto as if noticing her for the first time. Leto cursed under her breath, there was no need for her to be present in the conversation. Asteria just wanted Zeus' attention on someone other than her.

"It was the same as usual, no creatures bothered me." She mumbled under her breath.

"Really? I clearly saw that something did happen." Asteria urged, her tone revealing a bit of her annoyance. Leto looked away from her sister, and mistakenly looked at Zeus. The god's blue eyes were on her as he waited for her response. Leto felt her face go red, at his sudden interest.

"Nothing happened, Asteria." She squeaked, not wanting to reveal Nyx's visit. Asteria sighed. It sounded as if she was disappointed, but Leto knew better. Asteria was mad. She was mad that Leto had not told the truth and annoyed that now she would have to deal with Zeus alone.

"What's this?" Leto and Asteria sighed in unison as they heard their mother's voice.

"Zeus, god of the skies; what brings you here?" Phoebe exclaimed as she entered the kitchen. The elder woman was dressed in silver and gold, her bright blonde hair reaching the floor and her blue eyes big and bright. She was tall, towering over the girls and Zeus over half a foot.

"Lady Phoebe, my presence is due to your wonderful being!" Zeus exclaimed just as dramatically. Phoebe clapped happily.

"Ah, then my vision was correct! Come we must speak of it." She took him by the forearm and led him to the fireplace, leaving the girls behind. Leto let out a sigh of relief. She smiled hoping her sister would share the sentiment. But Asteria was still frowning.

"What?" Leto asked.

"You lied." Asteria quickly responded. Leto groaned.

"I don't want to talk about it." She clutched her pendant making sure it was still there.

"It was that bad?" Asteria asked in surprise, Leto wasn't one to hide a secret from her. Leto looked at her sister. She searched in her blues eyes, so different from her purple ones. But only found worry. She sighed once more.

"All right, all right, I can't keep anything from you." She complained. Asteria smiled. She moved her chair closer to table, so she could hear well.

"Nyx, visited me last night." Leto whispered. Asteria raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Nyx? What did she want?" She asked genuine curiosity dripping from her tongue.

"She came to me with a warning, to not break her son's heart or I'll feel her wrath." Leto whispered, this time Asteria had to lean in towards her in order to listen. At these words Asteria could not hold in her surprise.

"A son of Nyx is courting you?" She exclaimed loudly. Leto shushed her.

"Shhh, keep your voice down!" They remained silent, to see if either Zeus or Phoebe had heard Asteria. But all they heard was laughter from the other room. Leto sighed.

"Who?" Asteria whispered, her eyes wide like a deer's.

"Who, what?" Leto asked confused.

"Who's courting you?" Asteria asked. She had her hands on the table and leaned forward so that Leto could whisper her answer to her ear. Leto clutched her pendant, taking strength from the gift she had received from her lover. Using her lowest voice she told her sister her lover's name.

"Thanatos."

The name danced around the room. The sisters were silent; the only thing they heard was the hearty conversation between Phoebe and Zeus. Then after a few minutes, Asteria let out a breath and in a small voice that Leto had not imagined her capable of she whispered.

"You're courting death?"

**A/N: Ok, hope you guys liked it, this is my first fanfic. I've been meaning to do a story based on Leto for a while, especially since she's always presented only as the mother of Apollo and Artemis. Well how did that happen? There had to be some drama surrounding her before the pregnancy, so this is my take on what happened. Oh, for those of you that doesn't know: Asteria is Leto's only sibling; she's the goddess of the stars. Since there's so little know about her, I played around with her character. Reviews are appreciated and I'll try to update regularly, peace out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I can't wait to write Thanatos and Leto's encounter, this should be good…also just to clarify; Zeus will not be forcing himself on anybody. That's not how this story's going to go. He might get a bit pushy (but that's the way he is, in his head he can get anyone he wants) but nothing physical. Thank you Athena Of The Greeks for reviewing! It is much appreciated. Enjoy~ ^^**

Leto stared at her sister's eyes. Asteria hadn't moved in over fifteen minutes since she heard Leto's revelation. She simply stared at nothing, her brow furrowed in thought.

"Asteria." Leto whispered. She didn't know what to say, the lack of reaction her sister had, gave her no clue on how to proceed. The sound of Zeus and Phoebe's voices were muffled but Leto could tell their conversation was nearing its end.

"Asteria!" Leto hissed. Still no response. Leto sighed in frustration. She heard movement on the other room and before the door creaked open she whispered desperately.

"Whatever you do, don't tell mother or I'll tell her about Perses." At this Asteria tensed. She glared at Leto but before she could protest, their mother's voice boomed inside the room.

"Ah! My girls! It feels like a century since I've been with you two!" She exclaimed as she walked with her arms open toward them. The girls automatically stood up and accepted their mother's embrace.

"Now, now, sit." Phoebe said while patting their heads. This was normal behavior to them, but when they noticed Zeus's amused expression their pale skin went beet red with embarrassment. They all sat down on the kitchen table, this time Phoebe took the front seat. Zeus didn't complain as he placed himself in front of Asteria.

"What brings you home so early mother?" Asteria asked her face still in a daze. Leto relaxed, she knew Asteria wouldn't say a word as long as she also kept quiet about Perses. The last thing their mother needed to know was that her daughters were being courted by Death and Destruction.

"A vision of course!" Phoebe stated in a matter of fact tone. Asteria nodded and looked over at Leto, raising an eyebrow. Leto rolled her eyes. Phoebe only came home for two reasons: she was bored or she had a vision about her daughters.

"Yes, and a magnificent one if I may say so." Zeus boasted. "Your mother is simply wonderful." He added, addressing Asteria. Phoebe smiled brightly at his compliment. The corner of Asteria's mouth flinched, but she held her composure not wanting to reveal her discomfort.

"Yes, well I imagine you're both busy so we'll be out of your way." Asteria said standing up, while dragging Leto by the arm.

"Oh, you could never be in my way, Asteria. Your company is too enjoyable, so if you could, please stay." Zeus smoothly said. Asteria took a deep breath, and nodded.

"Thank you Lord Zeus, but you see I had already promised Leto that I would accompany her to the orchard." Asteria hastily replied. Phoebe raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Leto nervously fidgeted with her necklace, her left wrist still in Asteria's grasp.

"Really? Are you going to pick fruits, I'm willing to help." Zeus urged. He smiled broadly, and his teeth shone. Not just his smile but everything from his blonde hair to his gray eyes shone in an eerie beauty. Asteria wasn't impressed.

"I'm sorry but this is something between sisters. Right, Leto?" Leto nodded immediately. She felt uncomfortable in the middle of the conversation and wished to leave, even if that meant playing along with Asteria.

"Let them be, Zeus. It will do no good to try to convince them. Stubborn from birth those two were." Phoebe said nonchalantly. Zeus looked at the Titaness, and nodded slowly, hiding his disappointment. By then the girls had left the cottage. Asteria jogged at a brisk pace, dragging Leto behind her. Once they arrived at the island's orchard they stopped. Leto panted for air but Asteria simply groaned.

"Thank the gods, we left. If I had to be one more minute in his highness' presence, I would have snapped! He's so…ugh!" Asteria complained.

"What's your problem?" Leto managed to ask in between breaths. Asteria scoffed.

"My problem? My problem is that I can't be in peace in my own home because he's there! And I was about to ask you about Thanatos too, but then they barged in and, and, and I feel like punching someone!" Asteria yelled in anger as she paced from side to side. Leto ignored her rant and sat down on the grass.

"Why are you so out of breath? You run faster than me." She suddenly asked Leto who was still wheezing. Leto chuckled.

"Maybe because you surprised me; oh there's also the fact that I haven't slept at all. I wonder why." She replied sarcastically. Asteria rolled her eyes.

"Yes, yes, I know!" She sighed, and plopped herself on the ground. Asteria let out a breath the last of her frustration gone with it. They both relaxed.

"How did it happen?" Asteria asked.

"You mean Thanatos?" Leto asked making sure she understood the question.

"Yep."

The wind picked up and the tree branches swayed; the occasional thump was heard as mature fruits fell to the ground. Leto smiled.

"How does anything happen? It just did. I met him in one of my forest runs." Leto began to explain.

"At first nothing happened, then we slowly kept meeting up, and well… you know how it goes." Leto finished, her face pink, too embarrassed to say anything else. Asteria nodded.

"I get it, it's like me and Perses." She responded. Leto smiled.

"I don't know why you were so shocked before, you're the one that's courting the Titan of Destruction." Leto pointed out. Asteria frowned.

"Please, Perses is harmless."

"Only to you." Leto replied; Asteria opened her mouth to protest but laughed instead.

"Ok, you have a point." Leto grinned victoriously as she picked a fallen pomegranate.

"Wait just a minute! Don't go smiling like that, when you know that's not what I'm worried about." Asteria exclaimed, as Leto took a bite out of the fruit.

"You mean Nyx?" she asked, her mouth full.

"Of course I mean, Nyx! She threatened you last night! Remember the: you shall feel my wrath!" Asteria exclaimed. She waved her arms around her in an attempt to seem powerful and scary. But Leto burst out laughing.

"What?" Asteria asked confused. The goddess tried to keep a serious face but that wasn't in her nature. She ended joining Leto's laughing fit.

"You should have seen yourself!" Leto giggled fiercely. Asteria grinned.

"Come one I wasn't kidding around." She pushed Leto trying to hold back the laughter.

"I know, I'm sorry!" Leto exclaimed in between laughs.

"Come on!" Asteria whined.

"Ok, ok I get it. You don't want me facing Nyx's wrath." Leto giggled. She stopped laughing and checked if her pendant was still there. She stood up and held out her hand for Asteria to hold. Asteria hoisted herself up with Leto's help.

"You're keeping it a secret right?" Leto asked as they turned around and began to head back towards thecottage. Asteria frowned but nodded.

"Fair is fair. As long as you keep quiet about Perses, my lips are sealed."

"Thank you, sister." Leto said gratefully.

A young man walked out of a forest cave. He appeared from the shadows and a mist lingered around his body as he walked. The evening sun shone over his alabaster skin. It made his purple eyes look red and his ebony hair look brown. He walked slowly, as if time would wait for him. Then, he stopped, feeling the sudden change in the air. He turned around. From the sky flew in another man, identical to him, except for his white hair and wings.

"Thanatos." The winged man called. He floated in front of Thanatos, when his feet touched the ground, his wings disappeared into mist.

"Hypnos." Thanatos greeted his twin with dull eyes. Hypnos smiled before embracing his brother.

"What are you doing, out of the underworld?" Thanatos asked his eyes full of curiosity.

"I could ask you the same thing but we both know the answer." Hypnos chuckled. Then in a more serious tone he continued. "I came to talk to you."

"About what?" Thanatos asked. It was odd to see his brother outside of his palace in the underworld. Most of his siblings remained there, letting only aspects of themselves work in the mortal world. But Hypnos was there, like him, body present. More importantly he was awake, which made the encounter odder still.

"I'm here on behalf of mother." Hypnos began to say, his expression was apologetic. Thanatos clenched his fist. This isn't good new, he thought. "It's about your lover, Leto." Hypnos continued. Now the mist around Thanatos shimmered angrily. It swirled around him like a swarm of bees.

"What about her?" Thanatos sneered, already knowing his brother's answer. Hypnos sighed, resigned to the outcome.

"She disapproves your courting of a daughter of Phoebe, and told me to tell you to end the courtship." Hypnos concluded. Thanatos groaned, he buzzed with energy as he walked around his brother, the mist following him. Wherever he walked, the vegetation was sucked dry; leaving traces of dead plants behind him.

"How did she find out?" Thanatos finally snapped. Hypnos cringed, before stepping away from his brother.

"You know better than to hide things from mother, she always finds out some way." Hypnos replied annoyed that he was the one receiving Thanatos' anger. Thanatos glared at him.

"She's no oracle, so someone had to tell her, and you were the only one who knew!" Thanatos yelled. The mist solidified into a sword that Thanatos immediately grasped. Hypnos held his arms up.

"Hey calm down, I swear on Styx I haven't told a soul." Hypnos said. He remained calm though his wings had reappeared. Thanatos hesitated, he waited a moment in silence. When he saw nothing happened, and Hypnos was telling the truth, he released his sword. It turned back into foggy mist.

"Then who?" Thanatos grunted.

"I don't know, mother didn't say. But hey! We're not the only ones that knew. Are you sure your beloved kept quiet?" Hypnos said.

"Leto would never…" Thanatos protested.

"Then you two weren't as cautious as you thought." Hypnos said. He floated above the dead grass, and let out a loud yawn. "That's all I came for my sons are waiting, so I'll be off." Thanatos absently nodded ignoring his brother, as he thought.

"You should visit more often." Hypnos said as he flew away.

"I do, but you're always sleeping." Thanatos mumbled, aware that Hypnos had already left. He remained still inside the circle of dead grass he had created. Hypnos words floated in his mind, did Leto really tell someone? He decided he had to find out for himself. A scream was heard from a distance. Thanatos sighed remembering why he had left the underworld in the first place; there was a job at hand.

"The plague is almost over." He mumbled to himself as he rose from the ground, black wings solidifying. He flew in direction of the screams from a nearby town. After he dealt with the dead, he would leave for Kos, in search of the truth.


	3. Chapter 3

Selene had just raised the moon, the last rays of sun leaving the island of Kos. Leto woke from her bed, finally feeling rested. She looked out her window and sighed at the sight of the crescent moon, a bright smile on the starry night sky. Leto put on her black blouse, tights and boots. Her usual outfit for her nightly runs. As she laced her boots Asteria entered the room holding a pile of books. Her skin glowed, and her blonde hair turned silver, as it did every night.

"Where did those come from?" Leto asked. Asteria heaved the books on top of her bed. She sighed sitting beside them.

"Mother's parting gift." Asteria said flipping through the pages of a book. Leto nodded.

"Are they from the mortals?" Leto asked, approaching the pile.

"Only a few, most are written by either mother or her oracles." Asteria responded, tossing the book aside and picking up another.

"Oh" Leto said, sitting down on her own bed. She clutched her pendant out of habit and gasped when she felt a familiar heat from it. She looked down to make sure her assumption was correct. On the silver pendant, instead of the usual black wings now laid a black butterfly. Leto smiled.

"I'm going out." She said happily.

"Have fun." Asteria mumbled, engrossed in her book. Just before Leto left the room she heard her sister call back. "Say hello to Thanatos for me." Leto blushed, but her smile remained, as she headed to the forest, running. Her body mingled with the forest shadows, keeping her hidden, though pulsing with anticipation.

Leto ran, she was fast and laughed as the wind blasted against her skin. The cold rush intensifying her joy. She ran until she felt her necklace heat up once more and stopped. She was in a clearing, near a forest cave. She usually avoided caves, good things never lurked inside them. But this one was different she noticed. A cold breeze oozed out of it. It was different from the playful night wind. This breeze chilled her bones, and crept up her spine. The sensation was familiar; this cave was an entrance to the underworld. Leto bounced on her heels, the excitement from the run and the anticipation she felt mixed together. She expected Thanatos to appear from the cave, tall, lean and only wearing his black trousers, as he usually appeared. Instead she heard flapping from the sky, and the cold breeze intensified. Leto looked up and found Thanatos floating down to the ground on his majestic wings. She stifled a gasp, he was beautiful.

When his feet touched the ground, his wings disappeared and the familiar mist emerged. Leto walked towards him slowly, her smile wide and as bright as the moon. She was going to embrace him but stopped when she noticed his expression. He eyes were distant and his lips fixed in a frown.

"What's wrong?" Leto whispered worriedly. She approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Thanatos turned his gaze towards her and couldn't help but smile. Her eyes glowed with worry. Beautiful, he thought to himself.

"I was thinking that's all." He said, taking her hand and kissing it. Leto grinned and hugged him. They remained in each other's embrace for a while before letting go. But now they both frowned. Thanatos in doubt. Leto in worry. She took his hand and led him to a ravine she had noticed before, close to the cave. They sat down on a large rock.

"Tell me." Leto whispered. Thanatos hesitated, wondering how to start. But he let out a breath and spoke the truth.

"Hypnos visited me today." He started to say. Leto's eyes widened with surprise, she wanted to speak, to ask questions but she held her tongue, waiting for him to continue.

"He told me that my mother found out about us." He said clutching her hand tighter. At this Leto couldn't keep quiet.

"I know." She whispered. Thanatos let go of her hand.

"What?" He said, misunderstanding her words. "How could you know? I just found out myself. No one's supposed to know." He said, confused then a realization dawned on him. "Did you tell someone?" He sounded hurt and Leto tried to reach for his hand. But Thanatos stood up.

"We promised not to say a word!" He exclaimed, the mist solidifying a bit. Out of instinct Leto started to disappear, her body melting into the night. She willed it to remain solid.

"No. You don't understand." She said, trying to remain calm.

"I think it's pretty clear." Thanatos growled. Leto frowned.

"Let me speak." She insisted. Thanatos turned around refusing to look at her. Leto ignored his gesture.

"I know because your mother visited me." She told him, slowly approaching him. The mist had been swarming around him, unsure whether it should solidify or not. Leto's body remained visible, but her purple eyes glowed, enhancing her vision.

"She came to me last night, and told me herself that she knew." Leto left out the fact that Nyx had threatened her on purpose. She feared that Thanatos wouldn't believe her if she told him. At hearing her words, Thanatos turned around. The mist had settled back into a foggy ring around him. He sighed.

"So you haven't said a word?" He asked, still a bit doubtful. Leto bit her lip, she looked at the ground.

"I, I told Asteria." She mumbled. Thanatos felt a pang in his heart. "But only after your mother came to me, her visit startled me. Asteria noticed and I couldn't lie to her." Leto whispered. Thanatos' expression softened, and sighed. His doubts dissolved into the night.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be acting this way. Especially since Hypnos knew." He confessed sitting down on the rock once more. He placed his face in his hands, ashamed to look at his lover. Leto sat next to him.

"Did you tell him?" She asked.

"No, he found out, when I was making you the pendant." He said looking up to see her face. He wasn't surprised to see he had her full attention. He stared, contemplating how her face went from a worried expression to one of relief. The glow in her eyes dimming but still retaining their hidden beauty.

"Then, it's not your fault." Leto said, she smiled and held out a hand to him. Thanatos grinned, amazed at how easily she had forgiven him. He stood up and grabbed her hand, their finger intertwined. They kissed briefly, both smiling as they did, before they sprang; running through the forest, laughing in delight. The wind guided them forward and Thanatos occasionally took flight, carrying Leto up into the sky with him. Their smiles, like the moon, shining.

Asteria sighed, putting down her fifth book. She hadn't finished a single one completely. Stopping half way through bored of their contents. The room was dark, the lamp had ran out of oil. But Asteria didn't mind, the glow from her skin and hair was bright enough to light the room. She stood up from her bed, and paced around her room. He was supposed to come today, she thought. _Is he alright? Did something happen? Or, maybe, is he bored of me? _Asteria frowned at her last thought.

"No, that can't be it." She mumbled. Perses had been on her mind all day. He was supposed to come visit her today, and the fact that she received Zeus as a visitor instead of him, bothered her deeply. She kept mumbling to herself different reasons for Perses not arriving. She paced around then stopped. Her hair suddenly began to shine brighter and her eyes turned pure gold. Asteria willed her body to remain still as she waited for the vision.

_Everything was black, a forest of some kind, out of it shot two figures; their faces were obscured. One was flying on black wings while carrying the other. One was male, the other female. They disappeared into the darkness once more. A light emerged through the forest, the moon. It bled red and fell to a silver chalice. A shrouded woman drank it, out of her head came out a new moon, brighter than the last. Darkness once again, the crescent moon returned, this time it turned into a smile. A golden man bore it. His smile changed into an expression of pain, a scythe appeared cracking his skull. He gasped, then darkness once more. The two figures appeared again, this time one of them dead in the other's arms. Then: darkness._

Asteria gasped as her vision cleared and she was once again in her room. She clutched her head. It had been a while since she had a vision like that. They were usually simple ones, like witnessing someone death or birth. But this one was so vague that she knew it held importance. She closed her eyes and opened them making sure it was over.

"I should speak to mother." She mumbled still clutching the bridge of her nose. Then she shook her head. No, she did not want to deal with Phoebe. She would just make a fuss about why had she not received the important vision herself. She contemplated what she saw. Golden man. Silver chalice. Death. Her head began to hurt.

"It doesn't make sense." She said, fighting the headache. She sighed, wanting to speak to someone about it. If she thought about the vision now alone, she would drive herself mad or worse. If it was a powerful vision she could have it again leaving her weak and exposed to any danger. Danger…A thought occurred to her.

"Perses." She said to herself. Her idea grew, quickly becoming more appealing. If she were with Perses, she would be safe to think about the vision, he would protect her. It also would give her an excuse to go see him. She needed to find out, why he had stood her up. Her doubts along with the vision would consume her if she stayed in the cottage.

"It's decided." Asteria whispered to herself, she grabbed a cloak for the cold outside and left the cottage; determined to find her Titan.

**A/N: Thank you all for reading and reviewing! They make me so happy. Oh and I had no idea Leto had a younger brother, these gods have such an extended family it's hard to keep everything on track. So if I mess up in anyway, sorry. Also, now that I finished my college semester, I will update as much as possible. Thanks once again! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thank you for reading and reviewing! Feedback is always good, and it brings a smile to my face, so thanks! :D**

**To answer Hazelnut Pie's question: Yes, Hecate will appear in the story but later on. I'm still working on the outline so I'm not sure how close to the end she appears.**

**Suggestions are appreciated! Feel free to review or message me. Peace out!**

Asteria floated through the night sky, her bright form mingling with the stars around her. She searched, for her Titan, lending her eyes to the different stars around her; trying to pin point where he was. She asked the constellations for help and after a while, they directed her to the main land. In a flash she appeared at the forest's outskirts of a nearby town.

She shrouded herself to resemble a mortal and began to walk towards the town. It wasn't long before she heard the screaming. Asteria ran and found the town in flames. Women screamed as they rushed to save their children and whatever possessions they had left. Asteria hesitated wanting to help, but she felt the town's people pray to other gods. It was not her place to interfere. _Man, woman, blood, woman_. She pinched her nose, suddenly remembering bits of the vision. She waited to see if anything would happen but nothing did. _That was strange_, Asteria thought. She heard the shouting of men at the other edge of town. Militia were fighting a ward of bandits, outnumbered. A wolf cry rang through the air. Some people stopped in their tracks, fear in their eyes, before running away with greater haste. Asteria frowned, she could recognize that howl anywhere.

Perses was smacked in the middle of the fray. The men around him shouted war cries with each howl he gave. He smiled as he watched them fight, his yellow dog eyes gleaming with passion. Javelins and spears flew around him, occasionally a man would back away from the fight, trying to run but Perses would make sure he was spotted and killed. He looked around laughing at the sight of blood on the ground feeling more powerful by the second. Then Asteria's voice cut through the ruckus like a knife.

"So this were you were." Her voice startled him. He stopped laughing and turned around to find Asteria in a mortal form behind him. Her hair was bright blonde and her skin rosy pink. He didn't like her mortal disguised, it hid her true beauty.

"Asteria? What are you doing here?" He asked dumfounded. The men behind him wavered, suddenly feeling tired. The bandits took the opportunity to pilfer the village. Perses sensed them and glared at their direction. The house the bandits had been heading toward exploded in flames, the force of it sending them into the air. Once he heard the loud thumps of their bodies crashing into the house next to them, Perses looked back at Asteria. She was not happy.

"I came to see you. Or is that a problem?" She said her voice light but Perses was only aware of the fire in her eyes. He knew that if she were in her immortal form, her skin would be glowing with anger making her all the more beautiful in his eyes.

"Of course not, but you do realize I'm a bit busy?" He didn't want to seem patronizing but that was how his voice sounded.

"Ah, busy… well I can clearly see that a small mortal raid is more important to you then me, so I'll be off." Asteria chided. Before Perses could stop her, she vanished in a flash, a fallen star appearing above on the sky. Perses cursed. He looked at the brawl and noticed the bandits had overcome the town's militia, most of them had left running in fear towards the woods. He sighed, before taking a deep breath. An ear screeching howl came out of his mouth, wolves responded from the other side of the clearing. He knew that their attention would be soon caught by the fleeing those who ran from the imminent destruction. _A sure death_, he thought as he nodded. Stretching his shoulders, he jumped into the air. A red flash appearing around him, sky rocketing him up to the sky; leaving the town as an explosion consumed it. Perses smirked; his work was done. He flew skyward and then settled himself among the constellations. After looking around for Asteria for a while he made his way to the moon.

"Selene!" He called. Out of the moon's crescent rose a small figure that had been resting on top of it. A young girl made out of the moon itself.

"Hello, Perses." She greeted. Perses nodded.

"Where's Asteria?" He asked. Selene turned her head to the side as if remembering something.

"She's almost back in Kos." She said after a moment. Perses thanked her before leaving for the island.

Asteria appeared before her cabin. She glowed a furious orange color, and felt like burning something down. She breathed hard, entering the cottage and slamming the wooden door behind her. _Chalice, silver, gold, blood. _Her brain reminded her. She had been fighting the remains of the vision since she left the town. It was getting harder to control. She was amazed she had been able to speak coherently with Perses, probably because of her anger. _Smile, moon, scythe, girl. _

"I know…stop it, please." She mumbled to herself. She sat down by the fireplace clutching her head.

"Asteria!" she heard Perses voice call. _No, not know_, she thought. _Wings, death, smile, death, moon dead. _She groaned.

"Asteria" Perses voice was by the door. She wanted to stand and open it. As angry as she felt, she was happy he came after her. _Death, death, death, all dead. _

"Stop." She whimpered. Perses must have sensed there was something wrong, because he burst through the door, breaking it off its hinges. He spotted her immediately.

"Asteria." He whispered. She was crouched down by the fire, her silver hair floating around her protectively and her skin glowing feebly. Perses rushed to her side.

"What's wrong?" He urged her, gently taking her hand away from her face. She was crying.

"It won't stop." She whispered. Perses sat beside her, pulling her to his arms. Unexpectedly her skin began to glow brighter and her eyes turned pure gold. He tightened his hold around her, aware that she was having a vision. After five minutes she returned to her normal state. Perses took her chin into his hand.

"Are you all right?" He asked. Asteria nodded; tired and confused. She had the same vision, only more vivid than last.

"Something important is going to happen soon." She told him, not wanting to discuss the details just yet. She laid her head on his chest.

"Something bad?" He whispered, aware of how vulnerable she was. Asteria shook her head slowly.

"I don't know." She admitted. She suddenly felt tired, like she lived her vision.

"Do you want me to stay the night?" Perses asked her. The question woke her from the numbness she was feeling. Perses never stayed over.

"Just to make sure you're ok." He reassured her, his yellow eyes were full of worry and Asteria smiled. She felt stupid for getting angry at him. He must have a reason for not visiting, and even if he didn't he had already proven that he cared for her with one question. Asteria nodded slowly, a slight blush on her cheeks. Perses grinned, kissing her forehead. He scooped her up into his arms and Asteria directed him to hte bedroom. She glanced at Leto's bed wondering if her sister would mind if Perses stayed the night. She remember she was with Thanatos so, fair was fair. Perses laid her down on the bed as if she were a doll and slowly laid beside her. They fell asleep, their heads facing each other, Perses' arm draped across her waist and Asteria across his. Small smiles on their lips as they slipped into peaceful rest.

* * *

Leto and Thanatos had run through the forest for most of the night, they did not tire easily and even now as Eos was rising, they felt full of energy. Thanatos had been carrying her in the air for a while, insisting on bringing her back to Kos. Leto clutched his neck, not used to flying but enjoying it all the same.

"Where will you go now?" She asked, as they neared the island. Thanatos eyes gazed into nothing for a moment before sparking back to life.

"I have to head to the mainland, a town's been destroyed, and souls need to be collected." He told her.

"Do you always retrieve them personally?" Leto asked.

"Not always, but this town was different. They had disrespected Zeus' consort so he ordered it destroyed." Thanatos explained.

"Zeus has a consort?" Leto asked confused. Thanatos looked at her surprised that she didn't know.

"Yes, Leto where have you been living?" He asked chuckling. Leto blushed.

"In the small island of Kos." She stated her chin up high, feigning pride. Thanatos held his laugh and with genuine curiosity asked her a question.

"Have you ever visited Olympus?" Leto thought for a moment and smiled.

"Once, when Zeus was proclaimed king." She said smiling, trying to hide her embarrassment. Thanatos grinned; the cottage was just below them. They started to float down.

"I assumed you would know about what happens in Olympus since you're free to visit there. I know most things through Hades." Thanatos told her. He was nonchalant about it but Leto frowned.

"You're not allowed to enter Olympus?" She asked mad at whoever had prohibited this. Thanatos grinned at Leto's protectiveness. His feet touched the ground and he put her down. Leto reluctantly let go of her lover. The sun had risen and they had spent the whole night together, still she felt it wasn't enough.

"Do not worry about such things, I don't know if I can enter and frankly I could care less. I don't have time to lounge around and gossip. Some of us actually have work to do." Thanatos said holding her hand with a reassuring smile. Leto grinned but looked at the ground. Thanatos waited for her to speak her mind.

"I know reaping souls is tedious so I understand that we can't always be together, but I still worry that the time will come that we won't be able to see each other at all. I mean it's a small raid that's separating us now, but what if there was war, I can't bear the thought." She spoke slowly and barely above a whisper. Thanatos had to lean in to hear her. When she finished he took her face into his palms, forcing Leto to look up to him. Their purples eyes met, Leto's on the verge of tears. Thanatos smiled.

"There's always time for you, my love." He whispered. He kissed her softly, and Leto sighed with relief. They stopped, afraid that if they continued they wouldn't stop. They parted ways, and as soon as Thanatos form was out of sight, Leto clutched her necklace. The butterfly had turned back to the pair of black wings. She sighed, already anxious for their next meeting.

Leto turned around and was surprised to see the cottage door had been ripped off its hinges. She gasped and quickly entered her home.

"Asteria!" She called. Leto ran over to her room and the sight before her caught her off guard. Asteria laid in bed with a wolf lying over her. Leto did the only logical thing at the moment. She screamed.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait . , I've been trying to post this since last Monday but I have been having problems with the internet, my computer and time-management. Anyways, here you go! Hope you like it, review and Merry Christmas! **

Leto gave a high-pitch scream that woke Asteria instantly. Asteria rolled out of bed, legs and arms swaying in the air; startled by the sound. The wolf tumbled along with her and once it hit the ground, he sprang to life. The tuff of fur on his back spiked up as he warily looked around for danger. When Leto heard the low growl, she screamed again.

"What, what's wrong?" Asteria asked loudly her eyes still groggy and too asleep to notice anything. She stood up, the covers from her bed around her. Leto stayed still, her mouth agape.

"Asteria, there's a wolf." Leto began to whisper. Her voice cracked and Asteria stepped closer to her, the bed sheets falling to the ground.

"What? What did you say?" Asteria asked worried, her hand on Leto's shoulder. But Leto was paralyzed; she stared at the wolf in confusion. It sat behind Asteria, his tail swaying like a dog. _Why isn't it attacking us?_, Leto thought.

Asteria looked at her sister in confusion. Leto looked like a paralyzed doe. She followed her gaze and yelped when she saw the gray wolf sitting behind her. The wolf wheezed as if laughing and transformed itself back into his immortal form. Perses sat on the floor, legs crossed, laughing hysterically.

"You should have seen your faces!"He exclaimed while clutching his chest for air. Leto looked dumbfounded and Asteria pouted.

"You scared me you idiot!" She whined punching him lightly on the arm. Perses kept laughing and Asteria soon joined him, unable to stay mad at him. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her down. Asteria fell ungracefully into his lap. She blushed furiously and protested. Perses held on to her waist and Asteria's small blush progressed to beet red. When Perses whispered something in her ear, she giggled. Asteria mumbled something back and it was Perses turn to blush. Leto watched as they settled into their own world forgetting where they were and who they're with.

"Hello Perses." Leto said after the initial shock subsided. She wasn't mad, just annoyed and now starting to feel uncomfortable. Leto wondered if Asteria would feel strange if it were her and Thanatos on the floor; probably not.

"Hey Leto, how's the forest?" Perses greeted enthusiastically. He smiled broadly and Leto had to hold back a grin. She still needed questions to be answered.

"So, how long have you been here? And why were you a wolf?" Leto asked sternly, trying to hide the fact she was still startled. She sat down on her bed, eyeing her cousin suspiciously.

"I scared the Tartarus out of you, didn't I?" Perses laughed. "Well, if you must know, these beds are ridiculously small. It was more comfortable sleeping as a wolf." He explained with a smirk.

"Of course." Leto said sarcastically, which brought a chuckle out of Perses. Asteria pinched him.

"Ow!" Asteria ignored Perses protest and stood up. She recognized Leto's worried face, and it guilt warmed her chest.

"Leto, I'm sorry. I invited Perses over last night." Asteria explained. Leto nodded slowly but then looked at the floor embarrassed.

"It's just, I didn't know you two…" Leto started to say, a slight blush in her face. Asteria and Perses blushed, understanding what she meant.

"No! It wasn't because of that!" Asteria shouted. Guilt quickly replaced by relief than by embarrassment.

"Ok, ok!" Leto raised her hands up in defeat. Asteria pursed her lips, not knowing what else to say. Perses watched the sisters and chuckled at their expression. He then stood up.

"So what's for breakfast?" He asked, already striding towards the kitchen. The girls followed but Leto grasped he sister's arm.

"Why then?" Leto whispered. She wasn't going to let this go easily.

"A vision." Asteria answered, saying nothing more. They both kept walking. Leto didn't ask anything else, she knew that Asteria had very little visions, and when she did it was either something trifle or painful. If she asked Perses to stay then it had to be the latter.

They entered the kitchen and found Perses already sitting down by the table, his feet propped on it with his hands behind his neck.

"So where's the food?" He asked. Leto rolled her eyes, and Asteria raised an eyebrow.

"Whatever you bring us." Asteria said sweetly but the challenge was evident in her eyes. She wasn't cooking for anybody today. Perses looked her straight in the eye, accepting her challenge.

"You want the real stuff or should I just conjure a feast?" He asked haughtily. Asteria was now standing in front of him. She pushed his feet off the table.

"Real." She replied smirking.

"I didn't know you enjoyed burned food." Perses said. He stood up and looked down at her. Energy pulsed between them; they were enjoying their little game.

"You're the one who likes to burn houses." Asteria countered.

Leto stepped between them. Already tired at how the couple could go from disgustingly lovable to annoying with their plays for power.

"You know what, I'll cook. You both cook horribly anyways." She said, quickly heading off to the cellar afterwards.

"Hey, I do not!" Asteria protested. Leto tried not to laugh as she left the kitchen.

"I was hoping you would!" Perses called before Leto's dark hair disappeared from sight.

Asteria pouted.

"What? Leto's cooking is great." Perses said. When he saw the pout was still on her face, he grabbed Asteria's waist. "Come on, you know I also like your cooking." He said reassuringly. "Besides now we have time for ourselves." Perses whispered in her ear. Asteria grinned. Perses took her face, suddenly serious. Asteria always felt like Perses serious face could look right through her.

"You're feeling better?" He whispered. Asteria nodded, she really did feel refreshed. The vision would not disturb her for now. She felt happy that Perses had been so caring, automatically she leaned forward. Perses' response was immediate. They kissed, their lips gently savoring the sensation. Perses pulled her closer, their bodies pressed against each other. Asteria smiled shyly but didn't protest. She let him rub her back and she played with his hair. They heard a cough. Asteria waved her hand, gesturing for Leto to leave them in peace. Another cough, this time louder. Perses stopped kissing her and Asteria groaned. They looked away from each other; Asteria was about to tell Leto to leave them alone, when she noticed exactly who had coughed.

Phoebe stood by the kitchen door, arms crossed and a scowl sketched on her face. Asteria was at a loss for words. She had assumed, it was Leto bothering them, and now the sight of her mother left her petrified.

"What's this?" Phoebe growled. She strode over and stood before them, easily towering over both her daughter and nephew.

"Mother, I, Perses, we…" Asteria stuttered not knowing what to say. She felt her hands trembling and was surprised when Perses took hold of one.

"Morning, Aunt Phoebe. I hope you don't mind me staying over for breakfast." Perses said. He sounded cheerful but Asteria recognized the fire in his yellow eyes and the way he stood. His back straight and legs apart. He would accept any challenge, especially if the prize was Asteria.

Asteria stayed silent, she knew nothing good would come if she spoke. Her emotions were divided in half, she felt happy that Perses would always stand up for her but was also scared; she had never defied her mother before. Asteria watched as her mother's usually placid features were turned in angles, making her look menacing. She said nothing, as she glared at Perses. Her silence was penetrating, worse than any words that could be said. Asteria tightened her grip on Perses' hand. Perses smirked, raising an eyebrow at his aunt, waiting for her verdict. Fight or flight? Phoebe's shoulders tensed, sensing Perses challenge. They stared at each other, both unwilling to admit defeat. Then Phoebe's eyes turned gold and she was plunged into another world.

* * *

Leto was glad she had left the kitchen. She felt like a third wheel and would have left the cottage if it she hadn't just come back. Inside the cellar, she rummaged through the niches and drawers searching for the jars of marmalade. She was too tired, to actually cook anything. So bread and jam would be breakfast. As she searched for peach marmalade (her favorite) her thoughts kept wandering back to Thanatos. Thoughts of him would now always pop up when she was alone. She sighed as she remembered each touch, the way he spoke, how his eyes gleamed red under the sunset. Now and then she would touch her pendant, making sure it was still there. It was a habit she had now. She smiled remembering his words when he gave it to her.

"Now, you'll always know when I'm near." She blushed; he had kissed her after that. Their first kiss.

"It's a beautiful necklace." A feminine voice purred from behind. Leto would have gasped in surprise but Perses appearance had already set her senses on overdrive. She knew that the voice had manifested from nothing, so the source must be a god or titan. Leto turned around and found a girl, she was older than Leto and had blonde hair tied in a messy bun.

"I have one myself, though it lacks your type of magical qualities." The blonde continued, she approached Leto slowly, like a predator. Leto knew her from somewhere but wasn't sure.

"I don't see you wearing a necklace." Leto said; her voice felt unsure. She didn't feel the blonde was a threat, but she still prepared herself to leave.

"You're right, someone broke it unfortunately." The blonde hissed staring at the floor. Leto backed away from her and in an instant the blonde looked up. Leto was a few feet apart and the blonde started to circle around her, observing. Leto felt her skin protest; she didn't want attention like the blonde was giving.

"Hmmm, I see nothing special." The blonde murmured.

"What?" Leto asked confused. Without warning the blonde closed the space between them and pulled up Leto's blouse. She was still wearing the same clothes from her run. Leto yelped pulling her shirt back down but not before blonde looked under it.

"Nope, nothing special at all." She sighed in satisfaction. Leto glared at her but the comment hit the mark. Now she couldn't help but stare at the blonde who was all beauty and curves. Leto covered her arms realizing she was not.

"Well, that's good to know. No need to worry anymore, with looks like those Thanatos will tire of you." The blonde said in a matter of fact tone. Leto clutched her pendant, anger rising with her insecurities.

"Who are you to speak for Thanatos?" she growled.

"Who am I?" The blonde asked in shock. "I'm only the closest woman Thanatos has in his life. His partner in crime, his confident; I'm the wind under his wings. I'm the most important woman in his life after our mother of course." The blonde exclaimed dramatically, she stepped away from Leto and began to look around. When something caught her attention she would pick it out of its niche or drawer, look at it and then throw it somewhere else. Occasionally she would bite food and put it away uneaten. Leto hovered around her trying to keep everything in its place. Her hands worked at rearranging the destruction left behind the blonde but her mind was somewhere else. The blonde must be Thanatos sister, but she couldn't remember which one.

"I'm not saying he doesn't like you, don't misunderstand. All I'm saying is that he'll tire of you eventually. Your relationship is only temporary, until he gets bored, like Zeus and his lovers." The blonde continued. Leto's eyes widened, anger rose to her chest. She couldn't believe this person, who knew nothing about her, was claiming that Thanatos' love was like Zeus'. It was the same as calling her a whore. Zeus' never settled down, even after two marriages he was a full blown womanizer. Leto's eyes glowed deep silver, and her skin started to become transparent willing her to leave. But the anger in her heart was too great. She wanted to strike the blonde down, but the voice of doubt kept her bay. Could it be true? Then envy fueled her anger once more; the blonde was extremely beautiful who was to say that Thanatos wouldn't replace her? Leto clutched her pendant for some form of reassurance, trying to keep the strife in her heart at bay. That's when it clicked. Strife… discord, chaos.

"You're Eris." Leto grunted, trying to keep herself calm.

"Took you long enough to figure it out. Oh, if you're this slow, this might not be as fun as I thought." Eris chuckled, taking a bite out of an apple before throwing it away, already bored of its taste.

"What do you want?" Leto mumbled, her body slowly re-materializing. She still felt like running away from the feelings the goddess of discord brought to light, but she knew that would be cowardly. If someone should leave the house, it was Eris.

"Ooh, you do have a backbone." Eris cued. She stepped in front of Leto, they were of the same height. Then the mischievous smile faded, and Eris' beautiful face scowled.

"What I want is chaos, specifically, chaos in your heart. But most importantly I want you to end it with my brother." Leto remained silent, unsure what to reply. Eris waited, her eyes gleaming, calculating.

"Did your mother put you up to this?" Leto asked, after thinking for a while. She didn't fear Eris; the one she was worried about was Nyx. Eris scoffed.

"Please, if I were here because of her, you would already be dead. No, I'm here declaring myself your rival. Even a mortal could have put two and two together." Leto frowned but found herself stepping closer to the goddess. Thanatos was hers; she wasn't going to back down.

"Why are you warning me? I thought you didn't like playing fair." Leto hissed. Eris sneered. Suddenly she grasped Leto's neck. Leto squealed in surprise. Eris gripped the pendant's chain and whispered in Leto's ear.

"I don't." Before Leto could fight back, Eris ripped the pendant off its chain and stepped back.

"See you around, Le-to." Eris chuckled; the mist around her became thick, hiding her. Leto shrieked in anger and flung herself were Eris had been standing, but she was too late. The mist parted and disappeared, Eris was no longer inside the cellar, and neither was the pendant.

Leto felt tears prick behind her eyes. She was left alone with the mix of feelings that had attacked her before. She felt rage build inside her, doubt quivered her lip and most of all sadness made her knees weak. She had lost what had made her feel secure, what kept her hopeful of Thanatos next return. Now she would have to wait for him to find her, and until then she would have to fight the emotions Eris had awakened.

"Sleep, sleep it off." She mumbled to herself. Her body moved sluggishly out of the cellar. She re-entered the kitchen, and didn't notice it was empty. She went to her room, and didn't realize that she was alone in the cottage. Lying down on her bed, she only thought of Thanatos. Only this time, she didn't relish in the sweet memories of before. Now her mind was clouded with anger and doubt.


	6. Chapter 6

In the darkest pit of Tartarus, Nyx's castle laid. Its great walls were part of the damp earth and, at the same time, part of nothing at all. Only creatures born inside Tartarus could actually see the castle. To the rest of the world it was nonexistence just more of the endless dark of the underworld. Inside it, in a dark room, sat Nyx on her bed with her consort Erebus. Most of their children took after him, pale skin, dark hair and the ever present mist that surrounded him now. He stroked her hair gently with both hands, as she stared into oblivion.

_Tell me what's on your mind_, Erebus said. They spoke telepathically, their bond so strong that they craved more than a physical connection.

Our son, Nyx replied. Erebus moved closer to her, hugging her waist and resting his head on top of hers. He waited for her to continue.

_He's courting that child, the hidden one. I fear she will disrupt the order_, Nyx said.

_Is she a threat to us?_ Erebus asked. His skin darkened, melting into Nyx's blue skin.

_No, she is not, but what lies inside her might._ Nyx replied distastefully. She frowned and Erebus mimicked her.

Someone knocked on their door. Light entered the room when the door creaked open. Nyx and Erebus cringed unaccustomed to the sudden brightness. The mist that surrounded them, thickened into a shield.

"Sorry." A young girl squeaked. She was small, her dark hair pulled up in a ponytail.

"Hemera." Erebus whispered, he let go of his protective hold of Nyx, but the mist continued to shield them from the light that emanated off of Hemera's small body.

"Sorry." Hemera whispered again, the room was re-immersed in darkness and the mist returned to its passive state around Erebus. Nyx sighed, she held on to Erebus in order to not fall off the bed. Her eyes closed and she entered into restful sleep. Erebus gently pulled her arms off him and laid her on the bed. Night and Day cannot remain awake at the same time.

"Sorry." Hemera said, walking back to the door. Erebus walked away from the room reluctantly. He started to lead Hemera out of the castle.

"Why are you here Hemera?" Erebus asked. His voice was like a melody and as his daughter; Hemera had acquired the same trait.

"Aether asked me to come here. He wants mother to visit him." Hemera explained, as she skipped along the dark hallway, occasionally lighting a dying torch on her way.

"Why is that? You know your mother never leaves the castle during the day. Why can't Aether come here himself. It's irresponsible of him to be sending you as an errand girl." Erebus spoke quickly and sternly, but Hemera knew he was not mad at her.

"I know, but he can't come here. We have a guest, who is requesting mother's presence." Hemera said, lighting another torch with her finger.

"Who's that?" Erebus grunted, not liking the idea of someone demanding his wife's presence. Hemera wrinkled her nose, as if her answer was not only unpleasant but stank.

"Lady Phoebe, the prophetic light." Her voice rang through the now lit hall. Sweet to the ears but Erebus, who was immune, simply frowned.

* * *

"Asteria!" Perses yelled. His deep voice rang with such force that the clouds near him dispersed. It was still early morning and the blue sky pulsed red around his floating body.

"Asteria!" Perses shouted once more, as he had been doing since he began searching for her. Veins had popped on his forehead, the golden ichor visibly running through them. He panted heavily, ready to attack anyone who dared challenge him. His dog yellow eyes glowed, and wolf ears had appeared on the sides of his head. Perses roared in frustration. He wanted her. He was furious they had been separated and he wanted her back.

"Perses."

Perses turned around violently; ready to tackle whoever had spoken. He held his ground when he saw it was his brother; Pallas, god of war craft.

"What do you want?" Perses growled. Pallas looked older than Perses, around mid-age. He had a strong pepper gray beard, his body was ripped with muscles (like Perses) and wore battle armor similar to mortal soldiers. But what stood out were the small goat horns that protruded out of his head, amongst his brown curls.

"Brother, I mean no ill. Let us talk." Pallas said seriously. Perses circled his brother wearily, clutching his hair, trying to control his rage.

"You know where she is!" Perses accused, he bared canine teeth at him. Pallas stepped back, he held out his arm and a golden spear appeared.

"Perses! Calm yourself." Pallas warned. Perses snarled; his wolf form almost complete. Pallas stood his ground; ready to fight Perses, the destroyer. He knew nothing would keep his rage at bay, except for one thing.

"Brother, she is safe. I'll take you to her if you see reason." Pallas said, his spear still pointed at Perses. Pallas' words caught his attention immediately.

"Where is she?" Perses grunted, pulling his ears desperately trying to restrain his urge to destroy everything in his path. If he wanted, he could simply drop down to the earth and lay waste to the land. But what Perses desired was to find Asteria.

"She's with Astraeus."

* * *

Asteria paced back and forth inside a windowless room. There was a single wooden door, that was locked, and the rest of the room was lavishly decorated. Silk sheets over a large bed, a mahogany carved dresser, a golden desk, a bookcase filled with beautiful leatherbacks, were only a fraction of the riches in the room. She could only imagine how the rest of the house was, if it was even a house. Asteria would have enjoyed her surroundings, if she had been there willingly. She sat down on the bed and pulled her feet under her, not caring that her dirty feet might stain the golden sheets.

She closed her eyes and cringed involuntarily; bits of the vision suddenly popping inside her head. _Moon, death, scythe. _She sighed, tired of not understanding what kept replaying in her head. They had become less frequent and easier to ignore when there were people around. For Asteria, being left alone in a locked room was a dumb idea. The sole thought of having to relive the vision and its bizarre deaths and rebirths sent a chill down her spine. Even though Asteria knew it was useless she stood up and ran to the door and tried to budge it open.

"Let me out!" She shouted, small fists banging over the polished wood. She kept at it for a full minute and then she stopped. Asteria groaned, rubbing her head against the door and yelped when someone opened it from the other side.

"Oh, I'm sorry." A tall man said as he entered the room; he had a white long beard and wore a long blue tunic. He smiled when he saw Asteria's confused face and a small red spot on her forehead where the door had hit her.

"Astraeus?" Asteria said, while rubbing her forehead. Astraeus nodded. Asteria stared at her fellow god of stars in confusion.

"Yes, I imagine you are confused, and have questions. All will be answered soon enough. But first, we eat." Astraeus held the door open, so that Asteria could walk through. Asteria didn't hesitate, relief consuming her as she left the room.

"Why am I here?" She asked Astraeus, who chuckled.

"Like I said, all shall be said in time." He said as he led her through a long hallway. Asteria pouted. She never was patient around Astraeus, if she let him it would be a full century before she had her answers.

"I assume all this was my mother's idea." Asteria said.

"Interesting how easy it is to assume." Astraeus responded vaguely. He said nothing more and Asteria sighed, knowing this was going to be a long day. They walked down the hall, took a left, and entered a large library. Sitting on two armchairs were Pallas and Perses.

"Perses!" Asteria exclaimed. Perses lurched forward but was held back by an invisible force to his chair. He tried to speak, but no sound came. Asteria rushed to his side.

"What's wrong?" Asteria asked worriedly. She cupped Perses face with her hands. He smiled at her brightly, though she recognized the flare of annoyance in his eyes.

"We had to restrain him, since he wouldn't calm down." Astraeus said apologetically. Pallas scoffed.

"Calm down? You say it as if he were a child who had a tantrum. He almost blew up a continent." Pallas grumbled. Asteria looked at Perses, who glared at his brother.

"Yes, he was rather difficult. Kept screaming that you were his, you know." Astraeus told Asteria. Her eyes widened and she didn't bother to hide her smile. Asteria looked at Perses and chuckled at the bright red blush he was sporting.

"Well, he's fine now; could you lift whatever it is you placed on him?" Asteria asked sweetly, letting go of Perses face. Pallas tensed at the suggestion but Astraeus simply nodded.

"Of course." He approached Perses and with a flick of his hand a small wind appeared and engulfed Perses. When the wind resided, Perses sprang from the chair and pulled Asteria into his arms. Asteria hugged him, her smile growing by the second.

"You're safe." Perses whispered, kissing Asteria's neck.

"Yes, and so are you." Asteria whispered back. Perses took Asteria's face, their eyes connecting before their lips met. It wasn't long before someone interrupted them.

"Oh, please you two were separated for how long? A few hours?" Pallas laughed. Perses shot him another glare.

"Now, now, let us go to the kitchen. It's noon, so let us eat and then we can talk." Astraeus said, pacifying the tension in the air. Asteria took Perses hand and pulled him away from Pallas, following Astraeus' lead.

* * *

Phoebe tapped her foot impatiently. She sat on a high chair in a brightly lit room. Beside her was a tall man, blonde with bright skin that glowed. He was Aether, brightness. They sat by a large table, were tea was served in golden tea cups.

"Ah, they're here." Aether said his voice like honey.

"Finally." Phoebe breathed. Her hair was dull, and her eyes bloodshot red. The vision she had, had taken a toll on her. Two figures materialized before them. Phoebe recognized Hemera instantly, but the man beside her, she could only guess.

"Lord Erebus?" Phoebe asked. Hemera skipped towards Aether, who picked her up and placed her on his lap.

"Yes?" Erebus said, just as confused. Phoebe composed herself quickly.

"Good day, I'm sorry for calling for you and your lady, at this hour." Phoebe said, bowing her head slightly. Erebus nodded, his mist solidifying into a throne, were he sat.

"Father." Aether greeted. Erebus waved his hand and paid his children no more attention.

"I know you were not expecting me, but you must know that Nyx never leaves the underworld during the day." Erebus curtly explained.

"Of course, my apologies. I had simly…" Phoebe stopped speaking, suddenly her body stiff. Erebus waited in his throne and signaled Phoebe to speak. Phoebe stood in front of him, blues eyes gold, petrified.

"You may continue." Erebus said awkwardly. Phoebe said nothing. Erebus shifted in his throne.

"Don't mind her, father; she's just seeing bits of a vision. She's been this way since her arrival." Aether said from his chair. Erebus raised an eyebrow and said nothing. Finally Phoebe came out of her reverie, and took a deep breath.

"My apologies, Lord Erebus. Please allow me to explain why you are here. You see, I had a vision this morning that was most disturbing." Phoebe began to say in a neutral tone. She did not exclaim, or use exaggerated gestures. She did not move or even pace. She was not herself, thou no one in the room knew her well enough to perceive the change in demeanor. She was tired and worried, but most of all Phoebe was wary.

"In my vision there was death, and war. I saw the sun and moon fall, leaving a trail of blood. I saw a scythe; decide the fate of the order in Olympus. I saw my own death." Phoebe stopped when she noticed Erebus had raised his hand.

"Lady Phoebe, in what way does this vision concern my wife and I?" He asked. Phoebe sighed; she ran a hand through her hair, before answering. When she did the room seemed to darken slightly, and Phoebe's neutral face completely faded, giving way to one of pain and horror.

"It concerns you and your wife, for I saw the deaths of your children as well as my own."

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thank you for reading/following/favoriting! I hope you like this chapter, it took me some time to plan it out; so please review and let me know if you're enjoying the story so far. Peace out!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Oh my gosh! I'm sorry for the long wait; had a severe case of writer's block. But no worries, finally got this chapter out and the next one simply needs some proof reading, so that will be posted soon. I really hope you're enjoying the story. Any questions, suggestions or comments are welcome. Please review and have a nice day! Peace out~ :D**

Leto rose from bed. The room was chilly; a cold breeze had entered the room through the open window. It nipped at her feet as she walked over, briefly admired the view the island offered, and closed it.

"Breathtaking isn't it?" A voice whispered from behind. Normally Leto would have gasped, yelped, maybe even screamed. But lately nothing was normal. The voice was like silk; like Thanatos' voice. Her heart started to beat rapidly, with false hope. Leto turned around. It was him and at the same time it wasn't. The man that stood in front of her was the spitting image of Thanatos. Identical from the same pair of purple eyes to the strong jaw that held his soft grin. The only thing that was off was the mass of white hair on his head.

"Thanatos?" Leto asked hopefully. The man smirked.

"No. Though, I could be." As he said this, his hair immediately turned to the dark ebony Leto was accustomed to. Her heart screamed at the sight. He was her beautiful. He was hers. She was about to hug to him, when her brain reminded her to be wary. This person had just said he wasn't her lover. Leto eyed the man before her, searching for a flaw, something that gave away if he was a fake.

"I sense you're still uncomfortable. What if I'm someone you trust?" The fake Thanatos asked. The question he posed floated in the air, creating confusion.

"What do you mean?" Leto asked. Her answer came in the blink of an eye. The man was gone. In his place stood Asteria.

"Leto? Are you alright?" Asteria came to Leto's side. Her face full of worry.

"Asteria? But what about the…"

"The what? Is everything ok, you were sleep-talking and screaming. I was so worried. But that doesn't matter now, at least you're awake." Asteria babbled as she made Leto sit down.  
"Sleep-talking? No, I'm awake." Leto protested.

"Of course you are. I'm talking about before you woke up." Asteria said as she checked Leto face.

"You seem all right. Maybe it was Hypnos' doing or one of the Oneiroi." Asteria whispered fearfully. Leto eyed her sister. It was definitely her sister.

"Hypnos? Wait, I don't understand. You weren't here a minute ago and now you are?" Leto complained. She couldn't believe what she saw was a dream. It had just happened.

"It was a dream Leto. Why would I lie?" Asteria said. She gave Leto a small smile of reassurance. She was telling the truth. Leto sighed.

"I guess; it's just… I've been so anxious, with my pendant gone and all." Leto sighed as she explained. She felt tired and worn down. Asteria smiled.

"What are you talking about? It's right here." Asteria laughed. She pointed to Leto's neck. Automatically Leto reached for her neck, she expected to feel just her skin, but there it was. The pendant Thanatos had given her on its silver chain around her neck. Safe…

"Wait. This can't be right. I lost it." Leto said. She breathed heavily in disbelief. The encounter with Eris couldn't be a dream. It was too real.

"No… this isn't right."

"Don't be silly! What? You thought you lost it in the forest, or something? Come on, that was probably another dream. I mean it wouldn't be surprising if someone started messing with them. Remember Nyx's threat." Asteria pointed out. She was smiling as if Leto was acting crazy and Leto would have believed her. Would.

"I didn't lose it in the forest. It wasn't lost at all. Eris stole it." Leto's voice was just above a whisper. Suddenly the room was freezing and Asteria frowned.

"Eris?" She asked. Leto stared at her; she felt something in the air. Something was wrong. Asteria's frown slowly became a glare.

"You're not my sister aren't you?" Leto asked. She had her back against the wall; trying to create distance between them. Asteria sneered.

"Of course not." In a flash she pounced at Leto. They struggled in the small bed, as Asteria tried to strangle her. Leto screamed. Then, a laugh erupted from the fake Asteria and Eris was suddenly in her place.

"Are you afraid yet, Le-to?" Eris cackled. She had her pinned down and held her arms above her. Leto was on the verge of tears. She wanted to scream but found herself mute.

"No, you seem terrified." Eris whispered in delight.

"Who are you?" Leto finally asked, her voice was hoarse from the forced exertion. She tried to fight the blonde off of her. As she did, Eris' form dissolved and in its place was a dark figure made of shadows. In the split second the figure had taken to form itself, Leto leapt from bed. She tried to run but felt something grab her ankle. It was a hand severed from its body. Leto screamed. The figure approached her. More hands appeared from the cabins floor. Multiple severed hands making their way towards her. Hands trying to keep her there, at the mercy of the dark creature that approached her.

"I'm a nightmare." The creature said; its voice was like the wind, a silent but powerful wail. Before Leto could scream, the nightmare charged and lunged for her throat. It began to pour itself in her lungs, suffocating her. Only then did Leto wake.

Her eyes opened and a gasp escaped her lips. She leapt out of bed, her skin full of sweat. The sun's rays filtered into the room, it was morning. An odd time for her to wake. Leto didn't care, she felt like never sleeping again. She touched her neck and was, for the first time, relieved to see her pendant wasn't there. She was awake. This was real. The room seemed to darken but the sun was still up. Leto held her breath. She left the room hurriedly.

"It was a dream." She whispered. _No, a nightmare_. She corrected. She felt a prickly sensation on her ankle as she walked towards the kitchen. But there was nothing there.

"Just a dream and nothing else." She repeated to herself. Out of habit, she reached for her neck. No pendant, which meant reality. Unfortunately reality was also painful. Her mind replayed the events from the day before.

"Eris…" Leto whispered distastefully. Then she shivered, remembering the nightmare. Leto was not surprised when she found the kitchen was empty, just disappointed. _Asteria's probably with Perses._ Leto sighed, a shaky sigh. She still felt the creature's hands on her neck. She could still hear Eris' maniacal laugh.

"I'll go crazy if I stay here, alone." She said to herself already heading to the front door. She noticed it was still broken, hanging by its hinges.

"Fix it later." She chastised herself. Leto bounced on the end of her heels trying to shake off the feeling of dread. She needed someone. Being alone left her to her thoughts and at the moment her thoughts were poison. Everything reminded her of her dream and if that wasn't enough she still felt the remains of the cocktail of nasty emotions Eris had brought forth yesterday. She only thought of one person she felt entirely safe with. Thanatos. The problem was, he rarely came to the mortal world. That was the pendant's purpose; to tell her when he was visiting.

"I guess it's my turn to find him." Leto told herself. She looked at the cottage, doubting whether to leave or not. She felt a hand grip her ankle. No, she was not staying there; there was only one thing for her to do. Run, run to Thanatos, run to the only place she was sure he would be. The Underworld.

* * *

Asteria glared at her bowl of oatmeal. Everyone else was eating their breakfast, but Asteria didn't even touch her spoon. She stared at it with such intensity that when Perses noticed, he stifled a laugh. He knew that her anger would be directed towards him, if he did.

"Whatever is the matter, my dear?" Astraeus asked; his voice full of worry. He sat in front of her on the long table that was the center of his dining room. Just like the rest of his home, the room was extensively decorated, making the simple bowls of oatmeal seem meager and poor. Asteria looked up from her bowl, her skin immediately started to glow orange. She glared at Astraeus, and was about to speak, when Perses interrupted.

"Brother, could you give us a moment." He asked, smiling brightly and nudging Pallas with his foot. He held Asteria back and covered her mouth. Asteria's protests were muffled. She slapped Perses in the arm trying to make him let go.

"A moment?" Astraeus asked airily, no longer paying attention to Asteria. Perses nodded vigorously, still holding his lover down and smiling when he felt her teeth sinking into the skin of his hand. She now glowed a vicious orange, resembling a pumpkin. Astraeus didn't take note of this, he remained lost in thought until Pallas stood up.

"Brother, let me show you those spears I was talking about a while ago." Pallas suggested, taking Astraeus elbow and slowly leading him outside. "You know the ones that return to your hand after being thrown."Astraeus eyes glowed with interest.

"Ah, yes those!" He replied giddily. He let Pallas guide him away from the couple and outside the room. After Perses was sure his brothers were out of earshot, he let Asteria go. Immediately she pushed herself away from Perses and stood up.

"What was that for?" She shouted. Perses looked at his hand and grinned at the sight of his golden blood.

"I could ask the same question but I already know the answer." Perses said pointing at the bite marks. He then began to lick his hand making sure the skin would seal. Asteria remained silent, but her glowing skin was enough for Perses to know she was still angry.

"In case you're wondering, I just saved your ass." Perses said, no longer smiling. "Astraeus is not someone you want to fight with, trust me."

"I wasn't going to fight with him." Asteria complained.

"No? Well it sure felt like it. Look, Astraeus seems as if his head isn't all there but that's just it! He only seems that way." Perses explained. He waited for Asteria to say something, when she didn't he sighed. He watched her for a while before speaking again.

"You look cute when you're mad." He said. Asteria bit her lip. There she was, furious on the verge of hysteria and Perses was not only calm but calling her cute. She had been doing her best holding down the rage she felt and now it was close to boiling over. Perses said nothing else, and Asteria let out a long breath. She didn't want to lash out on him; it wasn't his fault she felt angry. If anyone should be receiving the blame, it was Astraeus. She had been stuck in his palace for a full day and he still hadn't given her an explanation as to why she was there. She still had no idea why her mother left her stranded and worse whenever she asked why, Astraeus would answer: Because it has been preordained.

_Preordained, my ass._ Asteria wanted answers; she wanted to know what was going on. The only good thing about being kept in the shadows was that her stress and anger kept the vision away. No more creepy reminders of what she had seen.

"You stopped glowing." Perses said interrupting her train of thought. He almost seemed disappointed.

"That's because I'm thinking." Asteria told him. She sat down beside him.

"I'm sorry I bit you." Perses laughed.

"No you're not." He chuckled, Asteria blushed. He was right, she wasn't.

"Fine I'm not." She whispered. Perses pulled her chair closer to him.

"Look." He said holding out his right hand. Tiny scars lined his thumb and palm.

"Your bite marks are a perfect addition to my collection." Perses said proudly. Asteria laughed.

"Collection of what?" She asked. Perses smiled.

"Battle scars of course!" He exclaimed, on purpose. He was trying to distract her from whatever plagued her mind. He rolled up the sleeve of his white cotton shirt and showed her a large scar that extended from his elbow to his shoulder.

"This one was from a fight with Pallas. I won that time." He said proudly. Asteria smiled, already feeling better about her situation. _At least I'm stuck here with Perses. _

Before Perses continued to show her "his collection" Asteria felt the familiar tingle behind her eyes. A star wanted to show her something.

"Wait." She told Perses. She grabbed his hand for reassurance and then she let her eyes turn gold. It lasted less than a minute.

"What did you see? Are you ok?" Perses asked immediately feeling protective of her. Asteria smirked.

"It was a message. Mother is on her way over here." She said happily. Perses grinned.

"And with her you'll get the answers to your questions." He finished for her.

* * *

Running through the island's forest during the day felt alien to Leto. She was used to seeing it at night, when it was submerged in darkness and everything looked magical and mysterious. Now everything was visible to her, every rock, every leaf and anything and everything. Nothing could hide from the sun, including her. She felt exposed, for that reason she ran faster than normal. Her paranoia was getting worse. Leto was like a scared doe, except there was no hunter in her pursuit. Her sprint came to an abrupt stop when she felt the chill. It was a sickening feeling that at first nipped at her bare feet and then grew and settled itself in her spine. The cold breath of death. Leto was in a clearing, the same clearing she had found Thanatos two nights ago. She followed the cold sensation to its source. A small rocky cave; the entrance to the Underworld. She had arrived to her destination.

"This is it." Leto mumbled. She walked towards the cave, with each step the chill grew stronger. It was a warning, only the dead could enter. When she was one step away from going inside, Leto stopped. Doubt holding her back. What if something went wrong? What if she couldn't find him? Leto was about to turn back when she felt it again. A hand gripping her heel. She looked down and saw nothing. That ended every doubtful question; Leto preferred to be haunted by spirits she knew were real then games that her own mind played. She took a step forward and was engulfed by a blast of cold air, and then she took another and yelped when she felt there was nothing to hold her up. Leto fell down into infinite darkness, darkness unlike that of the night or anything she had known. Just simple, damp, and endless black that was consistent in the Underworld.

As Leto fell, she felt nothing except for the wind. Instead of feeling it against her face and tangling her dark curls, she felt it trying to hold her back. Tendrils pulling at her skin, clinging to her arms and legs as if they said: _Don't leave Leto, stay with us._

After a while the sensation faded, and her body slowed down in its descent. Something pulled her to an upright position and Leto felt cold solid ground beneath her feet. She stood in a small circular clearing of pure granite. Smacked in the middle was a tiny stream of murky white water. Leto knew better than to touch the liquid. The stream flowed down the clearing into a tunnel, Leto followed it. Down the narrow tunnel the stream began to grow as Leto walked beside it. It grew surprisingly fast until there was very little room for her to walk. She could see a dim light at the end of the tunnel, it was a pathetic excuse for light but after her descent Leto considered it a good omen. She edged her way towards it, her back against the granite walls and her feet just barely escaping the touch of the now fully grown river. She wasn't sure which river it was, but that didn't matter all five rivers of the underworld where dangerous on their own. Leto could feel it in the air, the murky liquid oozed of danger. Silently warning her. Then the tunnel stopped in a large arch opening, were the granite ground ended and the vastness of the Underworld began. The river continued floating in the air.

"Great…" Leto muttered.

"Toll, you have the toll?" A wispy voice asked. Suddenly in front of her, was a large skiff. A man, with a gray cloak, stood on it with a large oar.

"Charon?" Leto asked shyly. She had never met the ferryman before; still she was relieved to find someone. Even if it was just a spirit. Most of his face was obscured under his hood and Leto could only see his mouth. His skin was pasty pale, and his lips were cracked.

"You're alive." Charon said amusedly. It was a statement but Leto felt she should reply.

"Yes I am. Um… I'm looking for someone." Leto said awkwardly. She didn't tell Charon who she was looking for, just in case.

"Congratulations on having flesh and bones, now if you could kindly hand me the toll, I would be much obliged on taking you to...where exactly is it you wish to go?" Charon's voice became raspy the more he talked, as if he'd been talking for too many lifetimes. Leto swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.

"I don't have any money." She whispered. Charon heard her just fine. He sighed as if he hated when people told him such news.

"Everyone has to pay the toll, alive or not, the toll must be paid." He said sternly. Leto kept silent, thinking furiously for a way out of her situation. If she didn't get on the boat, she was stuck there at the end of the tunnel forever. Unless, she decided to take a dip in the waters. No, that was also out of the question. If Charon was here, the river most probably was The Acheron. The river of pain. Leto had no intention finding out, just how painful it could be. Charon opened his mouth to speak but then he shut it abruptly. He turned his head to the side as if remembering something and then faced Leto once more.

"My apologies, just got the message. Hades' guests always get a free passage. Please, come this way." Charon said politely gesturing for Leto to sit in the skiff. _Hades?_ Leto tried her best to keep her face neutral. Did he give free passes to all the gods, even titans? Or had Charon gotten her mixed up with another immortal? Leto had no idea what was going on, but she climbed aboard anyways. The skiff began to move and soon they were heading upstream. Leto felt her determination starting to wave. What if she got into trouble? What if she couldn't find Thanatos?

"Next stop, Hades' palace. Please enjoy your stay in the Underworld, Miss Leto!" Charon exclaimed, a bit too happy. Leto tensed at the mention of your name. She eyed Charon, wondering what he meant by "enjoy" and "stay". Charon smiled, revealing rows of sickly yellow teeth. The hood of his cloak fell down, and Leto shivered when she saw Charon had no eyes. Only two empty eye sockets. They were empty like the void around them, like the souls that were hidden and like the clearing she had left behind. She simply hoped the ride ahead would be smooth.


	8. Chapter 8

Asteria and Perses left the dining room after Perses forced Asteria to finish her breakfast. No woman of his would go without eating. They headed to the library, were they were sure Astraeus and Pallas would be. Asteria suspected that her mother would be there as well. Before opening the large mahogany doors, Asteria felt a tingle in her fingertips. Her intuition was correct, she could feel it. Effectively, after entering the room, they found Phoebe. She was sitting down next to Astraeus. She was silent and still. A sight Asteria was not accustomed to. It would have been normal for Phoebe to be talking, with excessive hand gestures, and raising her voice and overall embarrassing Asteria. That, was not the case. At the sight of her daughter, Phoebe stood up. She rushed over to her and embraced Asteria.

"Your safe." She whispered over and over again. Asteria felt her mother tremble, as if she were cold. It was hard to tell if it was out of fear or relief.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Asteria asked. She hugged her mother back tightly. They held on to each other for different reasons, but at least the contact let them know the other was there. Phoebe was definitely acting strange. They sat down together on a love seat. Perses strode over to Pallas' side. The three brothers gave them distance, knowing that the women need their space. Phoebe paid them no attention.

"Mother…" Asteria whispered. All of her previous anger was gone and replaced with worry. Phoebe didn't speak. Her eyes were lost, gazing into oblivion.

"Mother, speak to me." Asteria insisted; she looked at Perses for support. He, along with his brothers, smiled reassuringly. Then, before anyone else spoke, Phoebe snapped from her reverie.

"You have questions. Why you are here? Why you had that vision? Why am I like this? Why? Why? You have a lot of "whys" in your mind. I can barely answer one why. Oh, if only I knew how much time we had left. Or at least have someone to interpret. My oracles? No, too young, too soon. Oh, I shouldn't have gone to her. Now, things will be worse. But that's not important right now, is it?" Phoebe babbled. Her eyes were blood shot red and her palms were sweaty. Asteria didn't understand most of what she said but she was sure the behavior was due to a vision.

"Mother, what did you see?" Asteria whispered. Phoebe breathed heavily, her whole body shacking.

"So many things…horrible things…" Phoebe muttered. The room was silent. Asteria looked over at Perses again. She tossed her head to the side and Perses got the message. He stood up, spoke to his brothers briefly and then they all started to leave the room. Asteria was glad Perses got the hint. She wanted to be with her mother alone. If the vision was bad it was better to keep it private.

"Mother, tell me." Asteria urged, once the men had left. Phoebe shook her head.

"No, I spoke of it once and look what happened. No, I cannot speak of it again, it's too dangerous." She mumbled to herself. Asteria waited patiently. Phoebe shivered.

"I promised myself to never do this but…you must know. You have to know. I can show you. I won't speak of it, but I can show you." Phoebe told Asteria. She was on the verge of tears now, and Asteria didn't hesitate.

"Yes, show me." She encouraged unaware of the consequences. Phoebe nodded and kept muttering to herself incoherently.

"Come on." Phoebe said, she stood up and Asteria mimicked her. She stretched out her arms for Asteria to hold. They held each other's elbows, facing each other. The stance provoked their skin and it began to glow. Then their eyes turned gold and Asteria was submerged in her mother's world.

Unlike Asteria's visions that were infrequent and heavily influenced by the night and stars. Phoebe's were clear as day and numerous. The first difference was the trance itself. Asteria was used to jumping straight into the vision, but instead she found herself in a brightly lit room with her mother.

"Where are we?" Asteria asked amazed. The room was brilliant; everything white from the floor to the ceiling. It was strangely homely.

"Come." Phoebe pulled Asteria by the hand and led her out of the room. The small room expanded as they walked and random objects would appear on the white walls and then disappear as soon as they passed by. Asteria let her mother drag her as she gazed at everything. The room had disappeared behind them and a hallway had manifested at once. They passed a black door, after that came a window, then after a series of household objects, they reached the end of the hallway. Instead of another room appearing, they came to a dead end. A wall decorated with golden wallpaper. On it hung a large painting, depicting a battle scene. There were titans, gods and monsters in a confusing fray. Asteria recognized Pallas in a corner with Astraeus behind him. She recognized a few others as well, but in the center of the painting were its protagonists. A tall and muscled blonde, in full body armor and a coy smile Asteria could recognize anywhere; and a woman protecting his back. She was also in full armor, she had brown curls that reached her waist and brandished a spear and shield.

"Zeus…" She muttered. She looked at the woman and got a feeling she should know her. She was a god, obviously, but Asteria couldn't tell anything else

"Is this what you saw mother? A vision of war?" Asteria asked.

"There's more. Touch it." Phoebe whispered, her vague words unsettled Asteria. She eyed the painting like it was a trap.

"If you want answers, the first step is trusting me. Touch the painting." Phoebe said. This time Asteria didn't hesitate, she pressed her right hand on the canvas. Instead of feeling the painted cloth as expected, Asteria was surprised when her hand went right through the painting. Before she could compose herself, something took hold of her hand and Asteria was pulled into the painting. She was pulled into the vision.

* * *

Riding in Charon's skiff was probably the most boring experience Leto had been through. The boat ride was unnecessarily slow and Charon was not exactly good company. The problem was he didn't speak. Leto would have been fine with that if she were herself. At the moment, her mind was clouded with too many thoughts for it to be left alone in silence. Another problem was that the Underworld was exaggeratedly bare of anything interesting. Occasionally a few monsters would fly over them or spirits would rise from the Acheron, but besides that the void around them was vast and dull. Just endless darkness. Leto wondered if she would be able to see more things if she were dead. She wasn't so curious as to want to test her idea. Eventually the current picked up and Leto suspected they must be on another river. She spotted their destination quickly. A lone mountain of pure rock, floated at what must be the center of everything. On top of the mountain was a large palace made of pure white marble. Though, it looked gray due to its surroundings. The palace had large glass windows and a huge arch door. It was a castle fit for a king. The rivers current turned upstream and took them straight to the palace entrance.

"Here's your stop. May Hades favor you, hidden one, that you may see once again the world of the living." Charon croaked. Leto halted, as she started to get off.

"You say that as if I won't." She told Charon. The spirit began to laugh a wheezy and sickly laugh that turned into a fit of coughs.

"As an immortal you should know, no living thing leaves the Underworld without being changed, tied to it in some way. Hades will see to it. Of course, there's an exception to everything. Maybe you will be blessed and leave just as you are now." Charon explained after clearing his throat. He smiled and his rotten teeth shone. Leto felt her heart fall. What if she never left? What if she became prisoner to this world of endless darkness? As much as she loved the night, she couldn't imagine herself happy down here for the rest of eternity. She got off the skiff, knowing there was no way to go but forward. She took a deep breath before heading towards the large glass door. As she walked away, Leto swore she heard Charon whisper: "There goes another one."

* * *

After being sucked inside the painting, Asteria was able to experience her mother's vision. She wasn't prepared thou for living it.

She was dressed for battle, armor made of pure gold, a helmet with large blue feather, a spear ready in her hand and a great shield that kept her adversaries at bay. As she easily parried an enemy's blow and stabbed him in the heart; Asteria cursed her hair. It was long, chocolate curls that reached her waist and got in the way. She promised herself to cut it if they won the war. To her back was Zeus, just as heavily armored. He wielded his lightning bolt with ease and she were glad he would always be at her side. A new wave of monsters arrived and Asteria hefted her shield towards them, she was pleased to see some cower away and other paralyzed by fear. Then she noted something far more dangerous than a few petty underlings. A titan. He was tall, muscled, bore goat horns and held a spear just as mighty as her own. Pallas, the warrior.

"Zeus! Fight me!" He bellowed. Asteria knew what was to happen next. This was her chance to prove everyone on Olympus just how powerful she could be. She was more than just intellect and once she defeated Pallas she would prove it. Asteria waited, she kept battling as if she had not noticed Pallas arrival. When she heard the Titan charge his way at them, she took the brief opportunity. As Pallas charged, he was an easy target; Asteria turned abruptly and threw her spear. It landed right in its mark. Pallas staggered but did not fell. He glared at Asteria recognizing her as his new opponent. Asteria smiled, he had fallen for it. Now all that was left was to claim his name.

The landscape changed. Asteria was no longer in the midst of a battle. She was a bird, a quail. She flew over a green forest at high speeds. The wind felt wonderful against her wings and her heart beated with delight. The expanse of earth below her was mystifying. Her flight was playful and the winds seemed to carry her. A cry of an eagle broke her from her peaceful trance. Her spirit grew heavy with dread. She was not safe. She flew faster and the forest below quickly turned into the great blue sea. She left her island. She kept flying. Every time she spotted land and thought she was safe the eagle would appear once again. It never lost her tail and Asteria was beginning to feel tired. Land and sea kept running below her but she wasn't able to land. She felt her heart race, the eagle was just behind her now. A bit more and she would be gone. A thought occurred to her. She waited until the eagle was close and then she dived suddenly. The change of patter took the eagle off guard. She was free! She could out fly him now. But her wings betrayed her. Asteria tried to slow her descent but an unknown force kept them tucked against her chest. The dive grew in speed too quickly. She could see the water below with too much detail for her liking. The eagle cried, the pressure against her wings grew and Asteria was helpless. She fell and her body crashe against the salty water. Unbearable pain came from every direction. It was immediately replaced with cold. Relentless cold, the breath of death. Death that consumed her in the form of sea foam and took her soul and bound her there. An island was born.

Once again, the vision changed course. Asteria was no longer a bird. But she flew over the sky. She had strong black wings that held her aloft and she recognized the vegetation below her as native to her home. She was flying over Kos and by the looks of it she was heading towards the cottage. As she came nearer to it, she felt a weight over her shoulders. It beckoned her to descend, to enter the cottage. Asteria did so without a second thought. Once her feet touched the ground, mist appeared around her body. She willed it to solidify and she grasped the sword that appeared. She walked calmly, she had all the time she needed. But the weight on her shoulders urged her to hurry. Asteria entered the cottage without opening any locks. She simply passed through the wall. The weight grew stronger and suddenly she felt herself worry. The cottage reeked of death. She headed to the source, following the scent like a hound. It was the cellar. The sight before her was unsettling, even after so many years of witnessing death scenes she was unprepared for this. Phoebe, the prophetic light was sprawled on the floor dead. Someone had stabbed her multiple times in the chest and left her to bleed. That wasn't what unsettled Asteria. It was the body curled up beside it. It was also lifeless. The weight pressed over her shoulder and became unbearably heavy. Asteria groaned and kneeled beside the body. It was Leto. Grief consumed her. The weight disappeared and Asteria felt intolerable pain. It pulsed through her and she notice her body was disappearing. A thought occurred to her. _Is this what it feels like to die?_ Then she disappeared, out of the cottage and what felt like out of the earth.

Everything changed once more. Asteria now sat on a throne. It was grand and the throne room around her was also a beautiful sight. The tapestries, paintings, chandeliers, marble busts and glass figurines that adorned it were unimportant to her. It was the crowd that had gathered to visit that mattered. She knew not all of them were convinced of her rule. This party was an opportunity to gain favor. Especially the favor of a fellow blonde. She knew that she was here, somewhere among the gods, titans and nymphs. Asteria scanned the room restlessly and when she found herself dressed in a silver gown, she sighed. One thought danced around her head: _Mine._

The vision ended. Asteria found herself once again inside Astraeus' library. She was still standing holding on to her mother's arms.

"It's over now." Phoebe told her. Asteria didn't hear her. She looked around the room confused. She pulled away from her mother.

"I'm me." She whispered. She stared at her hands and touched her face trying to make sure this was reality.

"This is real." She said out loud.  
"Yes, dear. You are no longer in the vision." Phoebe confirmed. Asteria felt her body shake. The room around her was uninviting. The lights played games in her eyes. She felt her head grow heavy.

"Where's Perses?" Asteria squeaked. Her skin burned and her forehead began to sweat. Phoebe hovered over her protectively, thou she also felt frail.

"I'll get him." Phoebe assured her as she led Asteria to an armchair. Asteria's knees buckled and she plopped into the chair ungracefully. Her mind was in a cloud, she felt everything around her become distant.

"The side effect will wear off eventually." Phoebe assured her. Asteria didn't pay attention. She was feverish and her brain kept circling the same thoughts.

"Perses, where's Perses?" She asked once again. Asteria needed him; she thought that if Perses were there, then what happened was real. He was her rock, the one thing she could always count on. Now that she felt physically and emotionally weak, she needed him. Phoebe left the room, promising her daughter that she would find her lover. For the moment her disapproval was forgotten. Asteria felt her body shake uncontrollably.

"I'm me." She whispered to herself. It was a false reassurance. In reality she wasn't sure, whether she had left the vision or anything was real. Experiencing not only the physical aspects but also the very being of the people involved in the vision was too much. It was like her soul had been ripped from her and others were shoved in its place. Her body felt foreign and Asteria feared the sensation would be permanent. She feared she had been changed.

**A/N: Hey everyone; thanks for reading and reviewing! It always brings a smile to my face! :D **

**The next chapter is underway, a lot of things will be happening soon, especially with Leto. A lot of foreshadowing in this chap, it was necessary for what is to come. Did you guess already who was the goddess from the painting? She'll be appearing soon... I really hope you're enjoying the story. Remember, any questions, comments or suggestions are welcome! Peace out~ **


	9. Chapter 9

Leto expected servants to be running through the palace, like in Olympus. She anticipated a butler or maid to greet her when the crystal palace doors opened themselves. She thought she would find someone to lead her to wherever Hades was. Instead Leto was alone in a very empty and large castle.

At first Leto waited patiently by the door. When it was apparent no one would fetch her, she decided to find Hades herself. She wandered through a few rooms, all void of life. Eventually she found herself in what seemed to be the main hallway. She followed it. There were lit torches along the wall, always followed by a tapestry. The tapestries had a specific order. At first they would depict mortal funeral rites, then they showed a soul's journey through the Underworld and finally the tapestries revealed a soul's judgment and sentence. The last tapestry showed the cruel punishments a soul endures in Tartarus. After that, the hall ended and opened into a large throne room. Columns lined the rectangular room. There was a large burgundy carpet that led to the throne. It was smacked in the middle of the large room. Unlike the outside of the palace that seemed gray, the throne was unmistakably white. Even from a distance Leto noticed the carvings around it, depicting scenes identical to the tapestries in the hall. Besides that, the room was unfashionably bare. Like the person who decorated didn't bother, knowing that no one would come to pay respect to the lord of the dead. Hades, himself, was sitting in his throne. He was asleep; hunched to the side of his chair, his hand cupping his cheek keeping his head in place. He wore a long white tunic and a large golden crown over his head. His hair was long and silver, framing his chiseled face. He looked slightly older than Zeus. Like his white throne, Hades pale skin seemed to glow in the room. Leto acknowledged he was handsome but she quickly compared him to Thanatos, a habit she developed since meeting him. Hades fell flat next to him.

"Excuse me." Leto said, trying to wake the lord of the Dead up. She felt bad for even trying; Hades looked so peaceful, she wished she could let him be. She stepped closer to the throne.

"Lord Hades." Leto said, a bit louder. Hades groaned and slapped the air with his hand.

"Go away." He mumbled before curling up into his throne. Leto giggled. He looked like a sleepy child. For a moment she forgot about her fears and anxieties and simply felt happy watching the lord of the dead act like a four-year old mortal.

"Hades, you have to wake up." Leto said while poking Hades in the arm. He didn't budge. Leto kept poking him

"Wake up." She kept saying. Whenever Hades tried to swat her hand away, Leto would skillfully evade him. Finally after she poked him in the leg, he straightened up.

"All right, all right, I'm awake." He complained. Leto smiled victoriously. She stepped away, giving him space. Hades rubbed his eyes and yawned. When he stood up, Leto was surprised by how tall he was. Instantly she felt embarrassed, Hades was no child; he was a man. The moment Hades opened his eyes, the room sprang with life. Spirits buzzed in and out of the room. Some looked like maids, while others were more like messengers or errand boys. Leto stifled a yelp at the sight. Her face went red at the thought that someone might have seen her waking Hades. When she looked back to the king himself, she was surprised to see he was also blushing.

"You woke me up?" He asked her incredulously. Leto nodded awkwardly. Hades looked away and beckoned a spirit forward. The spirit looked like an old housemaid.

"Yes, m'lord?" She asked with a thick accent.

"Charis, I told you to wake me up before our guest arrived." Hades scolded. He sounded annoyed but his face was still red, so he wasn't very intimidating. Charis nodded.

"Sorry, m'lord, with the feast being prepared, I forgot." Charis apologized. Hades nodded and turned away from her. Leto wondered if he simply called Charis, so that he could compose himself.

"Yes, well, um, welcome to the Underworld, my lady." Hades stammered. Leto smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Lord Hades." She curtsied just in case, not sure of the protocol towards royalty in the Underworld.

"Please, just Hades, my lady." Hades replied.

"Of course, as long as you call me Leto. 'My lady' sounds strange." Leto said. She smiled and Hades smiled in return. He cleared his throat, and began to walk.

"Come, dinner will be ready soon." He said. Leto followed close behind him. She felt comfortable around him; she sensed Hades wouldn't harm her. She also felt more relaxed now that she wasn't alone. The only thing that kept her nervous was what Charon had said. What if Hades refused for her to leave?

He led her around the palace at a quick pace. They stopped occasionally, so that Hades could give a spirit a command or receive a message. One message, that Leto overheard, caught her attention.

"My lord, Thanatos' report is ready."

"Put it with the others, I'll read it later." Hades replied nonchalantly. He continued to walk but he noticed Leto's curiosity and stopped.

"I know about you and Thanatos." Hades suddenly said. Leto eyes widened, though not from surprised. She was nervous.

"You do?" She asked. Hades nodded.

"It's hard to keep a secret from me when you live in my realm. But don't worry; he doesn't know that I know." Hades assured her. He grinned and Leto let out the breath she was holding.

"Then you must know, I'm looking for him." Leto said as she continued to walk by Hades' side.

"Yes, you're lucky I was still awake when you entered through the secret path. If I had not sent a message to Charon, you would have been stuck there for the rest of eternity." Hades explained. Leto was grateful. An eternity in that small passage sounded like a nightmare.

"I've already sent a message to Thanatos. He should come in time to dine with us." Hades added. The idea of dining with both Thanatos and Hades sounded nice. But Leto still hoped she could leave before dinner. All she wanted was to be with Thanatos, alone, and back in the world of the living.

"Thank you." Leto said. They had passed various rooms, seemingly walking with no destination in mind. Hades truly was not like anything she expected. She was glad he was nothing like his brothers. The few times she was with them were always uncomfortable. Zeus generally ignored her (which Leto was fine with) but when he did pay attention to her, well it was simply too much attention. Poseidon didn't ignore her; he was just…too nice. He was suspiciously nice, and Leto had heard enough stories about him to beware his fondness of her. Hades, Leto considered, was far better company. She mentioned this to him and was rewarded with a bright smile.

"You truly believe that?" He asked happily. Leto nodded. They kept walking and Leto noticed Hades was now more upbeat. After a while of comfortable silence they took a left and entered a large dining room. The long table was already set and Hades led Leto to the seat next to him. He sat at the front of the table and Leto was to his right. Servants began to spill from the back door, holding trays with different foods. The table was filled with all kinds of breads, pastries, roasted meats and sauces. It was an appetizing site.

"Do you wish to drink anything in particular?" Hades asked. Leto was mesmerized by the feast on the table. She pondered the question.

"Anything is fine." Leto said. She kept staring at the door where they had come through, wondering when Thanatos would appear. She decided to not eat anything until his arrival.

"Are you not hungry?" Hades asked as he filled his plate with roasted duck and orange sauce. Leto snapped from her thoughts.

"Don't mind me. I'm just going to wait for Thanatos." She explained sheepishly. Hades frowned.

"But if you're hungry, I'm sure Thanatos will understand. Go ahead and eat, there's nothing wrong with that." Hades insisted. Leto shifted in her seat uncomfortably.

"Really, I'm fine." She said, pulling on a lock of hair.

Hades eyes gleamed, with an unknown emotion. He ate slowly; watching Leto as he did. The atmosphere started to feel uncomfortable. Leto avoided Hades' pouting face. He resembled a child who had been refused a toy. She stuck a conversation, so that she could divert his attention. They talked as he ate. Neither one really paid attention to the topic itself. All the while, Leto kept gazing at the door and Hades kept watching her. She didn't eat or drink the wine they had brought her. She was in a haze. Minutes began to race by, an hour passed and still Thanatos was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly hunger gnawed at her stomach. The food on the table became more enchanting. Different smells wafted to Leto's nose, beckoning her to take a bite. Her stomach growled. Leto blushed; she glanced at Hades' face and was greeted with a triumphal smile.

"Still not hungry?" he asked. His tone was slightly mocking. It could have been interpreted as coy but Leto felt it was more of a dare. Hades smiled and filled an empty plate with scalloped potatoes and roasted lamb. He placed the plate in front of her.

"Come on, a bite won't hurt. Eat before it gets cold." He whispered. He acted like he would keep it a secret. Leto gazed at her plate. It looked so delicious, like it had been made to sooth her hunger. She wondered why she was hesitating. Sure, she said she would wait for Thanatos, but Hades was being so nice to her. Keeping their love a secret, rescuing her from being stuck at the edge of the Acheron, and even going as far as making sure she remained fed. There shouldn't be a problem for her to eat potatoes. Potatoes are harmless, and the ones before her looked so good, with cheese dripping from the sides and steam rising from them. She was about to grab a spoon, when a thought occurred to her. What if Hades never sent Thanatos that message? Then, Charon's words played themselves in her head: _No living thing leaves the Underworld without being changed, tied to it in some way. Hades will see to it. _How exactly was Hades going to make her stay?

"The food will get cold." Hades reminded her. Leto stared at him. His blue eyes shone happily like a child's but Leto reminded herself that he wasn't a child. He was a man, a man she had been warned about. She didn't really know Hades that well, what if she was wrong to trust him. A servant burst from the door. Both Hades and Leto were startled.

"Sir, an audience has been requested." The servant said after bowing his head.

"From who?"

"General Thanatos"

* * *

Asteria clutched Perses' shirt as if it were a lifesaver. She held on to him and refused to let go.

After living through her mother's vision, everything was different. Every sound was louder, colors were brighter and every word spoken held more emotion. Asteria felt more vulnerable, exposed, like someone had opened a wound that would not heal. Phoebe had assured her that she was simply experiencing the side effects of entering the dream realm where her visions were born. But that did not help her feel better in the slightest. She only started to calm down when Perses returned to see her. He was tailed by Astraeus and Pallas. When they saw Asteria's distress, Phoebe was obliged to explain. She kept assuring everyone, the strange behavior was temporary. But with her sickly complexion and blood shot eyes, she wasn't very convincing. Perses would have snapped right then and there, if it weren't for Pallas that is. Before his brother could overreact and take out his anger at their aunt, Pallas stepped in and reminded Perses what was important. Asteria. She sat in a red armchair, her legs pressed against her chest, shacking. Perses immediately took charge, he picked up the shivering and mumbling Asteria into his arms and before anyone could say anything else, he left the room and left his brother's place altogether. He marched away from the star that was his brother's home and flew off, taking Asteria to the safest place he knew. His own home, the constellation Seirios also known as Canis Major. The constellation to mortal eyes was like any other, but to the titans it was a home. In one of the stars, was a home like Astraeus'. It was not as big, but it was larger than Asteria's cottage Perses went inside his room, it held a large bed and only a nightstand for decoration. With his bursts of destruction the fewer things to take damage the better. That is when he tried to set Asteria in the bed and she refused to let go.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere." He whispered, trying to get her to let go of his cotton shirt. Asteria's gripped tightened. Her hands trembled as she pulled him closer. Perses didn't complain, he let Asteria pull him into bed with her. She lay on her side, both arms around his neck. Perses draped his arm around her waist and with his other hand he held her head against his chest. It was just like back in the cottage. Holding on to each other, making sure that the other won't leave. That what they had was real and wouldn't break. Except this time, as Perses held her lovingly, protectively, he was afraid. Last time, Asteria had been merely confused, frightened even. All he had to do was tell her he was there, and just like that she was fine. But that wasn't the case. Asteria wasn't just feeling scared or confused. She acted as if her world had shifted, as if even the smallest action would hurt her. She was changed. The vision had broken her. Whatever she saw, he knew would not leave her mind. It would haunt her. Perses feared he was not able to fix it. Or rather, he knew there was nothing he could do, besides being there. He felt helpless.

"This is real, you're real. I'm here, I'm me. I'm not dead." Asteria kept mumbling to herself. She kept repeating those words like a chant. Perses closed his eyes and shushed her gently, and whispered for her to go to sleep. He told her he wouldn't leave her; he told her she was safe. Still as they drifted off to sleep, Asteria couldn't help but shed a tear. She was afraid that when she woke up, Perses wouldn't be there or that she would be someone else or worse… that her own life had been all but a dream.

* * *

After the servant spirit brought the news about Thanatos, Leto felt her heart flutter and falter all at once. She was immediately happy that her lover was so close to her reach. At the same time she felt her skin prickle with fear. Hades did lie to her. She could feel it. Why would Thanatos request an audience with the king, if he was supposedly invited to dinner? That didn't make sense. Also she felt more alert. The news had snapped her from some sort of trance. She became more wary of Hades. Realizing that it his insistence that she should eat was odd. Now Leto looked at Hades. Once again he resembled a child, this time one who had been caught red handed. Hades sighed.

"Well, let's go see what your lover-boy wants." He said. "I really wish you could have eaten before his arrival. The cooks worked so hard on the feast and now you won't be able to sample it."

_There he goes again, why does he care so much about the food?_ Leto thought. She smiled, a polite and fake smile.

"Well, I'm sure I'll get to taste it when Thanatos joins us." Leto said, putting a bit too much pep in her voice. She wasn't used to pretending but she knew that remaining polite was a must.

"Highly doubt it." Hades said under his breath. He gestured Leto to follow him and started to leave the dining room. Before the door closed behind them, Leto took one last glance at the food. It looked just as delicious and fresh as an hour ago. The aroma suddenly invaded her nose. She felt an urge to turn back and take a bite out of something. At that moment Leto realized that normal food wouldn't make her feel that way; especially after an hour of lying on a table. She pushed herself to move forward and ignore the enticing aroma. Whatever the food contained, she was sure it wasn't good.

They quickly made their way to the throne room and Leto realized something else. She had walked all over the palace and she had not memorized a single path. This unsettled her. She always took pride in her ability to easily memorize routes and paths. Yet the palace had somehow changed in the last hour. If she tried to run, she would get lost. The knowledge sent another cold shiver down her spine. Maybe she had trusted Hades too quickly. Once in the throne room, Leto was surprised to not only find Thanatos but a small group of people as well. Thanatos stood besides the throne waiting for Hades arrival. He wore a black exomis, which was an odd sight, and his sword was sheathed and hung on his hip. He looked different. There was no mist and he had no wings. That wasn't what Leto found odd. It was more, the way he stood. Like he was a soldier, his head held high awaiting orders. Leto suppressed the urge to run up to him because of the crowd around the throne. It was a small group of five young women. Thou young, they were not a pleasant sight. Two had bat-like wings and razor-sharp claws on their hands and feet. While two more bared horns over frizzy hair and had serpent tongues that easily slipped between their fangs. The last one, who stood nearest to the throne was the most disturbing of all, she had scaly skin and goat legs, her stringy hair was uneven, like someone had ripped out chunks of it but what really disturbed Leto was her eyes. She had none. The one thing they all had in common was that they were hard to look at. When they drew near, the hideous creatures parted for Hades and Leto to pass. Hades, Leto noticed had changed. He was no longer wearing the simple white tunic. It changed into a long and black one, with a golden design of cypress leaves. It made his silver hair stand out and so did his crown. He sat down on his throne with admirable grace and gestured for Leto to stay beside the throne were Thanatos stood. She was all too willing to comply. Leto quickly stood beside Thanatos, his eyes had widened with surprise when he saw her and she couldn't help but notice he was a bit angry. She reached over for his hand and was relieved when he took it. Their fingers intertwined into an assuring hold.

Hades rose from his throne after a moment of silence. He was not awkward as he had been before with Leto. Now he was regal, he was proud, he was a king. A spirit manifested from the other side of the throne and announced him.

"All hail, Lord Hades, son of Chronos and Rhea, King of the Underworld, Ruler of the Dead and God of Death and Riches. All present bow before him to show the respect that is only proper and just, as was established long ago." Then the spirit disappeared, and the group before him bowed deeply, as did Thanatos and Leto who mimicked them. Hades sat, signaling his approval. Thanatos let go of Leto's hand. When she looked at him nervously, he gave her a reassuring grin. Then, he strode over to the front of the throne and kneeled before Hades.

"Thanatos, Death and my loyal general. You may rise." Hades said. He spoke elegantly; equal to the vibe he gave off. Thanatos stood.

"My lord, I've come here on behalf of my sisters, the Keres. They wish to speak to you and bring forth an important tale." Thanatos explained. Hades nodded.

"Very well, Thanatos. You are relieved of your duties for today." He said. Thanatos nodded, he bowed once and took Leto by the hand and began to lead her away. Hades stopped them by taking Leto's free hand.

"Farewell Leto, it was a pleasure to meet you." He said sweetly. All the pride he had been demonstrating was gone in an instant. He wasn't a king in that moment; just Hades, the god with the childlike eyes and manner. Leto blushed, embarrassed at the sudden attention.

"It was nice to meet you too." She said shyly. Hades smiled and released her hand. He sat down and resumed his prideful air as he began to talk to the Keres. Thanatos pulled Leto behind him, walking at a brisk pace. Leto let herself be led, finally feeling safe. She sighed, the nightmare was now behind her and her previous worries of Hades not letting her go vanished. She was with Thanatos and by the looks of things, they were leaving. She felt at home, just by holding his hand. Unfortunately she was too relieved to notice Thanatos' distress...or the dark mark of a key appearing on the palm of her hand. The same hand Hades had held only a few moments ago.

**A/N: Hello! My wonderful readers! Thank you for waiting, I was actually going to post this a lot sooner but when I re-read it, I wasn't satisfied. So I basically changed Hades' character completely, and of course that meant re-writing the whole thing. If you're wondering, Persephone doesn't appear because in the story's timeline she still hasn't been born yet. Which is why Hades tries to keep Leto in the Underworld (In the myths, it's mortals who are forbidden to leave once entering. Since Leto is a titan she can actually leave if she wishes, but since she's a woman Hades sees it as an oportunity to find a bride). He's lonely, and he can't exactly leave to find a date; he's a busy man. Anyways,t****he next chapter will be more of Leto, but don't worry! Asteria isn't being left behind; I just need a few things to happen before all is revealed…**

**Thank you Athena Of The Greeks, for reviewing! You always bring a smile to my face :D Thank you to anyone who is reading! I sincerely hope you are enjoying this story. Remember, any comments, questions, and/or suggestions are appreciated. Let me know if I need any improvement or changes, after all, the story is for you!**

**Peace and love~ Karla**


	10. Chapter 10

Thanatos flew upward. His black wings flapped constantly, trying to make up time for the extra weight he was carrying. He didn't mind, because it was Leto. He would never carry anyone else freely. They ascended rapidly, though he was sure Leto couldn't tell just how fast they went. The lack of light didn't help either. Thanatos was born from darkness so he had no problem moving around in it, but he imagined that Leto must have been uncomfortable. She didn't speak and neither did he. He wondered if she felt just how distressed he was. Probably not, he was so accustomed to keeping a neutral expression in difficult situations. He never seemed fearful and that was exactly how he felt as they ascended through the earth. Thoughts were swirling around his head and he was grateful for Leto's silence. If she started asking questions, he might snap. After seeing her in Hades' palace they kept popping up like annoying reminders. _Why was she with him? How did she get there? Did Hades' plan it? Is she ok? What was she thinking? Doesn't she know how dangerous it is down here? Doesn't she know?_

At some point the dark earth that surrounded them vanished and a cloud of smog appeared. Thanatos was used to the sudden change of scenery. They had just passed the halfway point between the Land of the Dead and the Land of the Living. The Underworld was behind them and now they flew up the actual earth. Just like the change of scenery, Thanatos changed physically. His black exomis was gone and was replaced with the familiar pair of black trousers Leto knew so well and his eyes turned purple. The only thing Leto was able to notice was the change of his eyes. Ever since they left Hades' palace through one of the large glass windows, she had not been able to stop staring. They had been red, blood red. Not the dark purple that was almost black (like her own); they had been a bold crimson.

In the past she had noticed a few times that her lover's eyes sometimes shone in the same bloody color. But it was always momentarily, so she assumed it was trick of the light. It was clear now that that wasn't the case. There's not enough light in the Underworld for that to happen. Were his eyes red or purple? The question unsettled her. That is why she had been silent all along. She could not stop staring and she could not stop thinking. In her mind Thanatos was a stable figure, like a rock. He was the man she loved, the man she ran around the forest with, the man that smiled when she told him her dreams, the man that held her hand when she felt scared, and the man that she trusted and confided in. He knew everything about her, she had told him everything. Yet had he done the same. Why doesn't she know something as simple as the color of his eyes? It puzzled her. It angered her. He once asked why her eyes were purple instead of blue like her mother and sister. She had told him it was because her eyes changed color when it turned out she wasn't a star goddess. Why hadn't he told her then that his eyes changed color? The detail was so small that she felt stupid thinking about it and the knowledge that she was probably overreacting just infuriated her all the more.

Eventually they reached an end to the smog. A circle of dim light shone above them. They went through it and with a loud 'pop' they reached their destination. A sea of trees lay below them and Leto had never been so happy to see so much green. They sighed in unison. Slowly Thanatos began to descend. Once they reached the ground, Thanatos placed Leto on her feet. Immediately she felt a hand clasp her heel. The sensation made her cringe; she looked down and found nothing as usual.

"Is everything all right?" Thanatos asked curiously. Leto's odd behavior captured his attention and he was momentarily free of his angry thoughts. Leto looked up to see his _purple _eyes and sighed. She told him _everything_, like always. She told him of Eris and reluctantly retold her nightmare, and then she finished by telling him the reason for her little trip to hade's realm.

"I just wanted to feel safe, with you." She concluded. She had not meant to sound apologetic or embarrassed, but her words tumbled out of her mouth that way. Thanatos chuckled.

"Safe in the Underworld? Don't you realize how dangerous your little trip was?" Thanatos grunted. After hearing the tale he felt a mixture of feelings, though anger was the predominant one. He wasn't angry with Leto. He was angry at Eris, for stealing the necklace and at Hypnos, for meddling with her dreams. He was especially angry at his mother, he was sure she was the reason behind everything. Most of all, he was simply angry at himself for not being able to protect Leto. All he could think about was the way Hade's had said goodbye. If Hade's had tried to make Leto stay and make her his bride, Thanatos would have been helpless. He can't protect her from his own King. He had sworn loyalty to Hades by the river Styx. If Leto had fallen for his trap, all he would be able to do is watch as she became Hades'.

"Of course I realize that. Do you realize how desperate I was? I felt like I was going mad." Leto responded. She felt her own anger rise but held it bay. All she really wanted was for someone to comfort her. Her eyes searched pleadingly and Thanatos felt more anger. Not only had he been helpless but now he couldn't even control his emotions. He took a deep breath, trying to reign in his thoughts. Leto watched as the mist around him buzzed with energy. When they landed it had appeared in an instant and now it swarmed around Thanatos, indecisive. It would turn into a sword then dissipate and morph into a swarm of butterflies but then it would turn back into a sword. Leto also took a deep breath. She began to walk away from Thanatos, already setting a path in her head to take.

"Come on." She said while checking her leather boots.

"What?" Thanatos asked his voice full of confusion.

"Let's run. What better way to let everything out? We're both angry and talking won't fix that." Leto replied. She bounced on the end of her heels, getting warmed up. Thanatos stared at her, amazed at how quickly she found a solution to the current problem.

"Come on!" Leto called, already heading deeper into the forest. Thanatos eyes blinked rapidly. He knew this wouldn't solve their problems but maybe after this they could talk peacefully.

"Wait up!" He called back, as he ran forward determined to catch up. Leto laughed and launched herself into a full sprint. Thanatos saw her and did the same. They ran through the trees, never stopping, letting every confusing emotion out as they laughed and shouted in the air.

* * *

Asteria woke up from a dreamless sleep. She woke up and found herself in Perses room. She yelped and jumped off the bed, suddenly thinking that she must have turned into Perses himself. When she looked around the bare room and found that in fact Perses was still asleep and she was no one but herself, Asteria calmed down_. Smile, scythe, death._ She rubbed her head, trying to think of something that could distract her mind. She looked around the room. There was nothing to look at. The walls were bare. The floor was empty except for the bed and nightstand. The only thing there to really distract her was Perses and he was asleep. Asteria contemplated waking him up but decided against it. She paced around the room trying to decide what to do and before she knew it she had left the constellation and was floating through the starry sky.

She didn't really think about where she was going, she simply let the stars pull her around. They would protect her and as they did she could distract herself by looking at the world below. She noticed she was very far away from her home, Kos. Even if she descended, the island would be far. She didn't mind. The idea of returning there wasn't appealing. The stars tugged and pulled and finally she got bored of that too. Her mind kept wandering between reality and her visions. The change between the two was almost imperceptible. So, she didn't notice when she began to descend. Her mind was split in two and somehow she wasn't bothered by it. She felt like a bird, then she was herself, then again she was a bird. For a while she flew around in this manner. When she realized that she indeed had transformed into a bird just like in the vision. Asteria panicked. _I'm a bird! I'm a bird!_ She screamed in her head. She lost balance and began to fall towards the trees below. She no longer had control. She fell and fell at high speeds, at some point she was no longer a bird. She was herself, body and whole falling from the sky about to crash. Asteria waved her arms around her.

"This can't be happening!" She screamed from the top of her lungs. She felt the trees grow near by the second. When she was about to crash a gust of wind picked her up. Asteria scrambled against it like a moth caught in a net. The wind dragged her northward. The sky, she now noticed, lightened. It was day time. The wind didn't cease to tow her away and Asteria became more distressed. Where were they going? How far had she strayed? She kept fighting the wind even thou it was pointless. The wind suddenly pulled her up, towards the clouds, and Asteria felt a strong hand grip her arm. The wind stopped pulling her and the hand grew a body and pulled her onto a cloud. Asteria didn't protest suddenly thinking it must be Perses. The white cloud felt as soft as it looked. Sitting on it felt soothing, and it immediately relaxed her. Asteria panted, tired not just from fighting the wind, but tired of everything. She just wanted to curl up inside the fluffy cloud and sleep forever. The person that pulled her up would never allow that.

"Had a bad day?" Zeus asked smiling broadly. He sat crossed legged on the cloud beside Asteria. He looked happy, giddy even, but all Asteria noticed was the bags under his sky blue eyes. He must be going through something bad to be physically showing how tired he was. Asteria didn't point it out, realizing she must look equally tired.

"Looks like I'm not the only one." She mumbled. The last person she had expected to meet was the King of the Gods himself. She felt a vague inclination to dislike him, to be mean, to be cold. She was too tired to act on it. Had she really slept? She simply watched Zeus as his chiseled and tanned features went from happy to worn. She felt bad for causing the change.

"Things haven't been easy around Olympus lately." He admitted, while looking away from Asteria's intense gaze. The sky around them dimmed a bit. The mortals will have to enjoy a cloudy day. Hopefully Asteria won't provoke a storm.

"Did you send that wind for me?" Asteria asked, trying to change the subject. She was still struggling to convince herself that in fact everything around her was real. She was also trying hard not to think about the visions. She had enough problems; she saw no need to hear about Zeus'. _What could be going on at Olympus? They're running out of nectar and ambrosia? Big deal._

"Yes. I saw you were falling and asked one of an anemoi to catch you." He explained, quickly hiding his worried face with a smile. "I was surprised to find you so close to Olympus." Zeus pointed out. Asteria's eyes widened and she sat up.

"We're near Olympus? I've never wandered this far."She said genuinely surprised.

"Then you must have a lot on your mind." Zeus said. Asteria smirked, he had no idea exactly how much. Something pounded at the back of her head. Asteria rubbed her temples feeling a vision break away from the barrier she had created. _Man, scythe, death, girl. _

"Stop it." Asteria grunted.

"What?" Zeus' asked once again his face full of worry.

"Nothing." Asteria assured him a little too quickly. A silence fell around them and Zeus quickly broke it.

"It seems we're both having problems. You know I came to this cloud trying to clear my thoughts, but they have multiplied in the silence. You look like you're also trying to run from them." Zeus spoke quickly as if they had very little time to speak left.

"You're point?" Asteria asked, letting a bit of her displeasure drip. Zeus laughed it off.

"My point is we both could use a distraction." He concluded. Asteria perked up at the suggestion. She could really use one. The words spilled out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"Any ideas?" She asked. Zeus smile widened, extremely pleased. Asteria swore that had he been a god of the stars he would have glowed. Instead the sky cleared up.

"Oh yeah. Come on, I have the perfect idea." He stood up quickly and held out his hand. Asteria grabbed it without a second thought. She didn't consider the consequences of her actions. She simply went with what her gut told her. At the moment it was screaming to follow him.

"Hold on." Zeus warned, his face full of excitement. The cloud below them dispersed and Asteria was impressed to see that they remained standing on nothing. She could only do that during the night, so it must have been because of Zeus that they remained that way. Zeus gave her a reassuring smile and then whatever had been holding them aloft the sky, vanished and they fell. They fell but not like Asteria had been, they would not crash to their deaths. They floated in a comfortable descent. Asteria felt her blonde hair whip around with the wind. She felt her skin shiver in delight and her hand grip Zeus' harder. If she let go of him, she would crash land. They floated down to the ground and Asteria was grateful that already she felt her worries melt away. What better distraction than the King of the Gods himself?

* * *

Leto and Thanatos had been running at full sprint nonstop. The night was waning and Leto was reluctant to stop the chase. Thanatos was never able to catch her, but it was still fun to see him try. She halted in a clearing where a small lake rested. The water was like a mirror. A perfect reflection of the night sky. She walked over to the water's edge and sat down. After a few minutes Thanatos sat down beside her. They were calmer than before but there was an awkward tension in the air. She waited for him to speak, not trusting her tongue yet.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. That was the last thing Leto expected to hear.

"Me too. What I did was reckless. I understand why you got mad." She whispered back. She wanted to mend the tension quickly and be able to just be in his arms. Thanatos shook his head and for a moment Leto was nervous.

"No, you don't understand. I was never mad at you, only at myself. I felt so angry at the thought of not being able to protect you. You have no idea how scared I was when I saw you enter that throne room side by side with Hades." He confessed. He felt like a weight had been lifted. It would have been stupid to fight over something that had already been fixed. Leto let the words sink in before replying.

"Scared? Why would you be scared of that?" She asked clearly confused. She knew that Hades wasn't trustworthy. She figured that herself, but the reason behind it was still a mystery. Thanatos sighed.

"I have sworn loyalty to Hades. If he had tried to keep you there in anyway, I would've been helpless. I wouldn't be able to defend you. We were lucky my sisters were there seeking council, if not we wouldn't have left the Underworld so easily. You told me he had prepared a feast, but you didn't eat?" Thanatos asked. Leto nodded.

"That's good. The food in the Underworld is enchanted. If you're not born from the it and take just a bite, it will tie you to the Underworld forever."

"So that's why he was so insistent. But why me?" It made sense what he said, but doubt still lingered in her mind. Leto took a pebble from the ground and threw it at the still water. The lake rippled distorting the mirror-like image. It reminded her of Thanatos, smooth and clear to see at first but when something was thrown his way, he changed just like the river rippled.

"It's not you. He'll try it with any women that come his way. Hades may not seem it but he is lonely. Sometimes I fear a bit too much." Thanatos explained. He tilted his head towards the sky and Leto noticed again, how his eyes changed suddenly from purple to red and back to purple.

"There's something bothering me." She admitted. Thanatos looked at her and nodded for her to continue. Leto explained her inner turmoil and hoped deeply that Thanatos would not think she was being stupid. When she finished venting her worries. He smiled.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. It's not that I didn't want to; I just never put much thought into it. In the Underworld I take another form, my true form if you will. My eyes are both red and purple. They turn red when I sense a great amount of death. Obviously in the Underworld they will remain red, since I'm constantly surrounded by the dead. Up here in the mortal world they usually remain purple. As for my clothes, that's simply an uniform." The explanation was so simple that Leto truly felt stupid for asking.

"So you felt someone die right now?" She asked, finally free of anger and doubt.

"Not someone. A whole village." He said. Leto didn't like how casually he said it, as if a whole village of mortals dying was nothing. She remained silent not wanting to cause a reason to fight .

They looked at the sky and saw the dawn approaching. Colors swirled around them and the lake at their feet reflected each one. The sight was breathtaking and Leto took hold of Thanatos' hand. She pushed back all the new thoughts that had risen with Thanatos words and smiled. Maybe her emotions were simply still sensitive from the past events. Maybe Eris was still affecting her. She looked at Thanatos, and admired his form. She really preferred him this way, simple and beautiful. Even the mist seemed perfect, it settled around them like she was part of him. She especially like that, she felt special. Thanatos looked at her, pleased with how the sun's rays played around her fair skin and how her eyes shone. He didn't want to lose her to anyone. Just remembering the way Hades had looked at her made his blood boil. He never wanted to feel that again. Leto should never be so exposed like that again. A thought occurred to him.

"You'll do anything for me right? Just like I would for you?" He asked.

"Yes. You know that already." Leto said without hesitating.

"Then I need you to promise me something." Thanatos spoke softly, he didn't want to sound like he was demanding something; all he wanted was for Leto to be safe.

"Anything." Leto said just as softly. She could read the worry in his face. She wasn't used to seeing Thanatos look so vulnerable, like a child pleading for help. She wanted to help.

"Promise me to never go back; never return to the Underworld." He said. The request was something she had anticipated and had already made up her mind before Thanatos had asked her..

"I swear on the River Styx." She said. Thanatos' eyes widened. He had not expected that. All he wanted was her word. Being bounded by the river was something he didn't wish upon anyone. Leto smiled at him, too willing to please to realize that wasn't what Thanatos wished.

The air around them pulsed suddenly filled with power and Leto felt something change. A burning sensation came over her hand. When she looked at it, on the palm of her hand appeared a small black key. The sight was puzzling but before she could contemplate what it meant, the key vanished. Only she had seen it. Then around her wrist appeared a golden band. She touched it and it was still her skin. She looked to Thanatos in confusion.

"It's proof of your oath." He explained letting out a breath. The deed was done; he couldn't do anything about it. Leto smiled at him, the key already gone from her mind.

"Can I see yours?" She asked trying to brush the event off as nothing. Thanatos sighed and showed her his wrist where an identical golden band circled it. Leto grinned.

"They match." She whispered before kissing his cheek. Thanatos chuckled at her ingenuity. There was nothing he could do, so he he would not dwell on it. He brushed his finger over her nose and kissed her. Leto responded eagerly. They kissed, finally letting their worries slip away. Finally relaxing in each others' presence.

* * *

Asteria was mesmerized. She and Zeus had landed near a mortal village that was currently holding a small festival. They shrouded themselves to appear like regular mortals and with Zeus' encouragement they had joined the masses. The festival was simple; lots of music, dancing and a small group of players that acted out historical events. The whole thing was a great distraction and Asteria let herself be swayed by the crowd and be led by Zeus. He seemed to have just as much fun as she, if not more. They danced together, joined in the songs and enjoyed each other's company. Asteria's mind felt like a huge blank and whenever she felt a mere sliver of a vision or bad thought, that was when she sang the loudest or danced the hardest. She never noticed the way Zeus admired her or how easily he reached over to grab her hands or how casually he would drape his arm around her shoulders.

As she danced around with a group of seven year olds Zeus broke away from the crowd. Asteria noticed, and though part of her tried to warn her. Don't get too close, she couldn't deny she felt grateful to him for bringing her to the village. Asteria left the children, apologizing quickly, and jogged over to Zeus' side. He was walking away from the village.

"Hey, where are you going?" Asteria asked. Zeus grabbed her hand.

"I'll show you." He said confidently. Asteria sighed as if she were annoyed but didn't protest when he began to lead her away.

"Where are we going?" She asked once again. Zeus grinned at how quickly they had become a 'we'.

"Trust me?" He asked. Asteria didn't answer and Zeus didn't wait for one. He kept pulling her along the forest. With one question he had thrown her into deep thought. Did she actually trust Zeus? She didn't know. Before then she would have said anything to spite him, but now she found herself by his side, willingly. She recognized that throughout the festival she had grown to tolerate Zeus. She didn't really consider it friendship. All she knew was that he wouldn't harm her and that he was a hell of a good dancer. But wasn't that the beginning of a friendship?

Not much time passed before they came to their destination and Asteria had to push back her thoughts once again. They stood in a field smacked in the middle of the evergreen forest. Summer flowers were in full bloom in hews of whites and yellows. Asteria pulled away from Zeus' hand and walked around the field inhaling the sweet scent.

"This place is beautiful!" She exclaimed happily. Zeus smiled at her excitement.

"It is, but I see something far more eye-catching." His eyes were unmistakably directed to her. Asteria looked away immediately; alarm bells ringing in the back of her head. Did she give him a wrong idea about what was happening? She hadn't really paid much attention to the atmosphere while in the festival. Had he'd been this direct the whole time? She mentally scolded herself before responding.

"You've really kept your word; it's been fun this distraction. You're a good _friend_." She said sweetly, slightly emphasizing on the word 'friend'. Zeus raised an eyebrow but didn't seem discouraged.

"Why are we here?" Asteria asked, trying to change the subject.

"Thought I should show you this place before the mortals change it." Zeus said nonchalantly. Asteria eyes widened.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, this field will simply be gone. There's a river nearby and the village we were just in is growing. Eventually they'll find this field and start to move hear. Maybe they'll even build a temple." Zeus spoke about it as if it were an everyday matter. But Asteria wasn't familiar with mortals and found the news heart breaking. Such a large and beautiful field of flowers were to be replaced with man-made structures. Structures that needed supplies from the forest. Structures that would cover the soft earth and with time bring waste to it. She found it disgusting and wondered if Demeter and Gaea felt the same. It was probably worse for them. Zeus stepped closer to Asteria. They stood side by side watching the flowers before them.

"There's no way to stop it." Zeus said probably guessing her thoughts. "It's simply the course of things. If we meddle too much, we'll just make it worse. As long as the mortals build their temples and offer proper tributes, the land will remain unharmed." Asteria calmed down immediately. If the land would stay fit then she was fine with it. Her main priority wasn't worrying about the land anyway.

"You know, this is part of the prediction I went to see your mother about." Zeus said interrupting her train of thought.

"Really?" She asked curious.

"She told me that this field would be the beginning of a new era. Just as the humans will begin to change and grow, so will the gods. She said when the time comes my reign will become greater than what it is now." Zeus spoke softly as if he were revealing a huge secret. Asteria held on to every word. She felt something stir within her, what he said was very familiar. Suddenly she was sure that this prediction from her mother was connected not just the vision she had showed her but the one Asteria had herself. Something will happen that will change the balance forever.

"She didn't give me much detail though." He said chuckling. His tone was once again light and playful.

"That's usually how it goes. The less you know about the future the better the outcome. Ignorance is bliss." Asteria said. Zeus smiled.

"What? Worried I'll try to change fate?" He asked teasingly. Asteria didn't take it as a joke.

"No, but someone will…" She muttered.

"What?" Zeus asked not having heard her clearly.

"Remember this Zeus, nothing good happens for free. If my mother predicted you'll be blessed in your reign then be prepared for a loss." She said far more seriously than she had intended. She didn't want to scare him or tip him off on what she meant but Zeus' reaction caught her off guard.

"I'm prepared for war for Asteria. I don't need to be a prophet to see the signs."

The field's beauty dimmed as thunderclouds appeared from the horizon. Asteria raised an eyebrow at the god of the sky, by his expression he hadn't called upon them.

"Something's not right. I have to get back to Olympus." Zeus' voice didn't hide the worry he felt. Asteria was still shocked by his answer that she didn't speak. Was it really war that was to come? She had seen so much that she didn't know if to trust the vision anymore.

"I'm sorry. I have to go." Zeus said. He bent down and before Asteria could protest, he kissed her lightly on the cheek. It took her so much by surprise that even as he walked away and flew off to Olympus, Asteria said nothing. Her head was swirling with new thoughts and emotions. She clutched her temples as a headache started to develop and wondered if her outing with Zeus had been worth it.

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the wait. I've been sick since last week (which consisted of staying in bed with a fever). I'm better now, though it wasn't until this last Thursday that I was able to work on the story. **

**This chapter is slightly longer than the others and I really hope it was worth the wait. It was supposed to centre more on Leto rather than Asteria but ended up having almost equal parts. And yeah, Woo! Zeus finally reappeared! I was also wondering when he would pop into their lives again, and Viola! Let's see if I can squeeze him in the next chapter :D**

**Once again thank you for reading/reviewing! Peace and love~**


	11. Chapter 11

Leto strolled down the dirt path that went through the orchard and led to the cottage. Her eyes wandered, admiring every tree, shrub, flower and rock in her path. After seeing the bare and boring Underworld she had a new appreciation for the vast nature that surrounded her home. She also took the route, even though it was longer, so she could enjoy the company of the nymphs. It had been a while since she'd spoken with them. It had been a while since she'd done anything besides being with Thanatos. Thinking of him, immediately she remembered the oath she had taken. Leto rubbed her wrist. She smiled, it was permanent. Eris couldn't steal an oath.

She paused, standing in between two willow trees. Leto was about to call on the nymphs that inhabited them, Irene and Kallias. Before she called on to them, the willow trees swayed with the breeze and leaves snowed over her. A gentle greeting. Leto grinned holding out her hands to catch a few. Her moment of peace was interrupted.

A loud blast came from the sky and the impulse threw Leto towards a tree. Her body tumbled and her back slammed against the bark. She heard a loud crack. She groaned as red smoke filled the path. Leto coughed and writhed when she felt the pain. In the back of her mind she recognized Irene and Kallias frantic screaming. Every tree in the explosions' radius had been stripped bare, leafless branches welcoming an early winter. The smoke cleared and Leto saw the cause of the horrible destruction of the orchard. Destruction himself.

"Asteria!" Perses shouted angrily, or was he distressed? Leto really couldn't tell. She stayed still, waiting for her body to mend itself. If she had ambrosia, the healing would be faster.

"Asteriaaa!" Perses called again, the sound of his ragged voice tearing away from his throat was evidence enough that he had been shouting like this for a while.

"Perses." Leto tried to call, but now every nymph in the orchard were screaming and throwing curses at Perses. It was hard for her to notice if she was being heard. Perses himself began to curse, he paced furiously in circles. He noticed the nymphs behavior and laughed.

"If you hate me so much then why do you hide? Leave your feeble trees and face me then!" He shouted at them. The orchard became silent The trees quivered, possibly from fear. Every nymph hated Perses but they were never so bold as to fight him. He knew that. Leto knew that. With the new silence Perses continued his pacing. Leto tried again calling him. This time his head snapped at her direction. His yellow eyes were like blazing coals but when he saw it was Leto his demeanor changed.

"Leto! Am I glad to see you!" he exclaimed happily. He helped her stand, Leto winced from the pain but Perses didn't notice. He was too caught up in his own world.

"Have you see Asteria? I was with her and then she was gone. I've been searching for her. I'm starting to think she's in danger. Have you seen her? I need to find her. Leto please say something." Perses spoke far too quickly for a pained Leto to really comprehend. All she got from that bit was that he was searching for Asteria.

"Did you check the cottage?" She asked hoarsely. Her legs trembled and she was breaking a sweat. She needed rest. "I was just there." Perses replied. Leto groaned. She looked at Perses. He wasn't going to stop searching, and she had a feeling he was going to drag her along.

"Perses, Asteria can take care of herself—" Leto began to say. Perses cut her off.

"This is different. She's different, more fragile, things have happened!" Perses shouted, he took Leto's shoulders and shook her vigorously. "I HAVE TO FIND HER!" He shouted in her face. Leto yelped, more out of pain than fear.

"Ok, ok, I'll help you." Leto cried out. Perses stopped shaking her.

"Thank you Leto, thank you, thank you." He whispered happily. He hugged her hard and Leto squealed.

"Sorry." Perses said apologetically. He let go of her and smiled. Leto wanted to punch him; her back now was blazing. She wheezed erratically for air, her body burning, pleading for her to lie down.

"Come on!" Perses exclaimed. He took Leto's arm.

"Perses, wait!" She screamed but he didn't listen. His grip tightened and he blasted off into the air, tugging a screaming Leto towards the sky.

* * *

The grass danced with the wind, at first it swayed playfully but as the sky over Asteria's head darkened and clouds swirled dangerously close to the earth, the grass was no longer playful. It moved frantically like crazed ants. Asteria's blond hair flapped around furiously along with the grass. Her short blue dress blew up and she had to press it against her legs by force in order to remain decent.

"Dammit Zeus!" She shouted from the top of her lungs. The sky thundered in response. _Damn him_, she thought. _How dare he just leave me here in the middle of nowhere!_

The worst part was that Asteria was stuck to the ground. Even with the sky heavily clouded and the day resembling more an evening, technically it was still daytime. That meant Asteria only had partial access to her powers. She depended on her stars just as they needed her. That's why she always prefers to sleep during the day. She makes one exception and now finds herself stranded away from Kos. She cursed again as a gust of wind, blasted at her face and sent her dress flapping around her. Asteria ran towards the cover of the trees. At that moment she wished she was Leto. She could have run away at top speeds or hidden in a tree. Asteria could do neither. After tripping three times over her own feet and another curse at the sky, Asteria was back in the forest.

She wasn't one to bond with nymphs but even she could tell they were distressed. The trees shook though they remained rooted to the ground. They were the only thing protecting everything inside the forest from the storm above. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed and Asteria was shocked out of her momentary daze. The elements would not let her get lost in thought. _Focus._ She looked around her surroundings, desperately thinking what to do. Where to hide? The storm raging had to be because of Zeus. He had said there was something wrong. Was the vision coming true? No, that didn't feel right. This was too soon.

She did the only thing that she could, continue to run. Immediately it started to rain. Someone was seriously upset up there. She trudged forward, the ground quickly turning to slush under her bare feet. Her pale blue dress stuck to her white skin and her blonde hair clung to her neck. She didn't stop, determined to find some form of shelter. In the back of her mind she wished someone would find her. She wished she were with Perses snug in his bed. She wished she had never left his side. She wished she could just fly away.

Eventually Asteria reached the village. The happy festival from before had disappeared. Everyone hid inside their locked homes, wrapped in warm blankets and hearths ablaze. Asteria left knowing the mortals wouldn't be able to help.

After a while of walking the winds eased. The rain didn't. She didn't notice how many miles she passed or where exactly she was heading. Eventually the forest ended and the beginning of a beach appeared. The storm was now far behind her. Asteria stopped when she reached the white sand. Her body crumbled, and shivered from the cold. Her legs were caked in mud and she noticed cuts and bruises, she wasn't sure how they happened. Exhausted and soaking wet, she groaned. Her body was hard to wear down. It was intact, but that didn't mean she wasn't tired. The mud around her legs and dress mingled with the sand. The feeling was extremely unpleasant. Her mind vaguely suggested a bath. The nearest bathing place was the sea itself. Asteria rejected the idea instantly. She hated the sea to the core.

"What's so bad about a little salt water?" A strong baritone asked. Asteria looked up and found a well tanned and tall man before her. His hair was dark and curly, like Leto's. He wore a white exomis with a dark blue sash. He was breathtaking but his eyes stole the show. A bright blue-green. Like the sea. That was all she needed to identify him. That and the obvious aura of power, told her the man was Poseidon. In a second her admiration was replaced with disdain.

"Hello Poseidon" Asteria whispered. Her tongue was heavy and she felt cold. Poseidon frowned, his handsome features reflecting his worry.

"You look like you've been through a storm." He said. Asteria snorted.

"I was." Poseidon looked over to where she had come from. Now the storm looked like a dark cloud in the distance. He knew what it meant.

"So I was correct it seems..." He mumbled. In a flash his serious expression changed. He chuckled and crossed his arms.

"Well that's Zeus' problem now. Come we better go." He said giddily. He held out his hand and though she was tired, Asteria knew that going with Poseidon was a bad idea. God of the Sea didn't exactly inspire trust in her book. Poseidon smirked when he saw no reaction.

"Fine, do what you think best. I'm out of here, that storm will be here in a few minutes and I don't want to be caught up in that. " He said casually as he walked towards the water's edge.

"What are you-" The question remained unfinished when Asteria turned around to look at the storm. Somehow it was closer and bigger if that was possible. She stood up, her mouth was agape and her limbs trembled in protest. She was too tired to continue running from the storm. Too many things had happened. Not enough time to recover from any of them. She looked Poseidon over. He stood on the shore, the waves lapping over his feet lovingly. He was waiting. His curly hair came alive with the salt breeze blowing in his face. He was extremely handsome and that worried her. Zeus was handsome but with his attitude Asteria managed to ignore it. Poseidon was different, almost like he was showing off. She didn't like that. She realized she actually did trust Zeus. Poseidon on the other hand was nowhere near her trust. But she had no choice. She stumbled forward and grabbed the arm he offered.

"Hold on." He said. Asteria instinctively did. She held tightly to Poseidon's arm and closed her eyes. She feared the sea. It was too unpredictable, one minute a pretty sight the next a dangerous beast. It was one of the reasons why she had no problem leaving Kos. She didn't really love the island. The only reason she stayed there was Leto. Someone had to look after her. She pushed back the guilt that surged forth when she remembered her sister. She pushed it back; this wasn't the time to think of that. You didn't leave by choice, she reminded herself.

"Here we go." Poseidon muttered.

The water around them swirled upward, encasing them like a cocoon. Asteria opened one eye and when she saw this, she shut them closed again. Hoping that wherever Poseidon took her, at least she'd be safe.

When Asteria opened her eyes, she had feared to see a school of fish. An underwater palace. A shipwreck infested with sharks. Basically anything that was underwater. She was relieved to find herself standing in the middle of a fountain, that was the center of a large garden. She let go of Poseidon's arm and in a second she was under water. Poseidon immediately plunged an arm into the fountain and pulled Asteria out.

"Going for a swim?" He chuckled. Asteria sputtered, spitting water and gasping for breath. Now she was truly and entirely soaked. In saltwater to boot. Poseidon laughed, picked up a shivering Asteria and stepped out of the marble fountain.

"Put me down." Asteria managed to say between gasps and chattering teeth. Poseidon obliged and laid her on the fountain's edge. The garden was built around the fountain and was the most beautiful thing Asteria had ever seen. Flowers bloomed in different shapes and hues. The floor was covered in golden stones. The beauty didn't distract her from the anger she felt toward the sea god.

"Where are we?" Asteria demanded. Poseidon paid her no attention. He stared at the fountain; as if deciding what to do next. Asteria glared at him. A young girl appeared from behind bush of roses. Her hair was a strawberry blond that fell in delicate curls to her shoulders. She wore a light orange sundress and golden sandals. It was her eyes that caught Asteria's attention. They were amber and reminded her of Perses' yellow dog eyes.

"Poh, who's that?" she asked shyly, from where she stood. Poseidon came out of his reverie and smiled. Asteria almost laughed out loud when she heard the nickname. Poseidon ignored her.

"Hestia, this is Asteria. She's a titan, ruler of the stars." Poseidon introduced her with an air of pride that anyone would have thought he had known Asteria for a long time. In reality he had only met her once. She was amazed, he remembered her name. The girl, Hestia, came from her hiding place and stood by Poseidon's leg. She looked no older the twelve. Asteria dug up some strength and managed to smile. _No need to be cold to her. _ Hestia returned with a shy grin. She grabbed Poseidon's hand.

"Poh, she's wet." She pointed out. Poseidon nodded his head and snapped his fingers. In an instant, wet Asteria became a dry Asteria. But she was still a dirty Asteria.

Poseidon then kneeled to Hestia's height and spoke softly.

"Hestia, why don't you take Asteria to the baths. I have something to do." Hestia nodded her head vigorously. She tore away from his side and took Asteria's hand.

"Come on, I know a pretty dress you can wear." She said excitedly. Once again before Asteria had a say, someone was dragging her away, to who knows where and who knows what could happen.

The baths were open and steam rose from the cement pool of fresh water. Nymphs came and went carrying bags of laundry or plates of food and beverage. Hestia had stripped her clothes off as if it was nothing and Asteria awkwardly did the same.

"So this is how the Olympians bathe?" She asked Hestia.

"Isn't this how everyone does it?" Hestia asked confused. Asteria smiled.

"No, not everyone I suppose." Asteria responded. She eased herself into the pool and found herself sighing loudly. _Now, this is a bath_. The water was mixed with some kind of salt or flower because it smelled wonderful and she felt all of the grime washing away from her skin instantly.

"So where's everyone?" Asteria asked, casually trying to make conversation with the young goddess. Hestia floated around the pool leisurely.

"Well Zuzy and Poh are hardly ever here. Demi is probably in her room resting, having the baby and all, and Hera is either in the lounge talking with Aphrodite or tending on Demi. "

"I know Poh is Poseidon but who are Zuzy and Demi?" Asteria asked snickering. Hestia swam over to where she was sitting and smiled.

"Sorry, sometimes I forget that I'm the only one who calls them that. Zuzy is Zeus and Demi is Demeter." Hestia said sheepishly. Asteria smirked. Zuzy was Zeus? She had to remember that. _Could come in handy._

"So why are you here?" Hestia asked. Asteria groaned, why indeed.

"It's a long story." She told Hestia. A nymph offered them some nectar and Asteria took a cup after thanking her. She began to drink in sips feeling its healing properties in an instant.

"So you're not Poh's girlfriend?" Hestia asked with a mouthful of nectar. Asteria choked on her drink.

"No, no, never." She said wiping her mouth. Hestia giggled.

"Well that's good, I don't think he like you anyways." She said. Now this had Asteria's attention.

"Really? Well that's a relief. How can you tell?" Hestia blushed before answering.

"When Poh like a girl he's always nice. But he let you fall in the fountain. So he must not care about you that much." she whispered. Asteria was relieved. She didn't want Poseidon at her tail and she was glad to hear he didn't give a damn. She felt the same way.

They washed for a few minutes but Asteria quickly got bored. They got out, dried themselves and a nymph brought them clothes. Hestia pulled on a light green tunic and Asteria had been given a bright pink dress. It was far more extravagant than the one she had and far more difficult to get into. They left the bathing area and walked through the palace. Everything was mostly white marble, with the exception of the gold floor. Columns aligned every wall and flowers were everywhere. Asteria couldn't deny that Olympus was beautiful. The last time she was there, was for a coronation so there had been no need to leave the throne room. Now that Hestia pulled her along the large halls and corridors, she was glad she had the second chance to see the mountain's palace.

"Where are you taking me?" Asteria asked as Hestia pulled her down another hallway. _How big is this place?_

"I'm looking for Demi." Hestia replied. They crossed another room until they entered another garden. This one was larger and all kinds of plants were in full bloom. There were two fountains, both with fresh water. Marble benches were placed here and there in between the vegetation. Near one of the fountains, on a bench, sat two women. One was thin, pale and had chocolate curls tucked into a messy ponytail. The other was more plump, had auburn hair tied in a bun and was visibly pregnant. They both wore lengthy white togas and golden laurel wreaths on their heads. They were chatting in whispers until they noticed Hestia and company. The one with the messy ponytail grimaced.

"What's this?" She asked curtly. Asteria immediately didn't like her. Hestia hesitated, obviously uncomfortable. The pregnant woman smiled and held her hand out. Hestia grabbed it before speaking.

"Hera, Demi, this is Asteria. She's our guest." Hestia whispered. Hera's frown deepened. Demeter grinned apologetically.

"So you're Asteria." Hera said coldly.

"And you're Hera?" Asteria replied just as cold. They glared at each other until Demeter intervened.

"Hera, you know I'd really like some nectar, the baby's acting up again." She said sweetly while she clutched her huge stomach. Hera's eyebrow twitched but she smiled and stood up.

"Asteria, about your bath." She said sweetly while walking away. Asteria rose an eyebrow.

"What about it?" She asked.

"You missed a spot." She said right before leaving the garden. Asteria felt her face go red. She looked at Hestia who blushed and pointed at her cheek. Asteria rubbed it with her hand and found it smeared with sand. Her embarrassment grew, but not as much as her dislike for Hera. She had a feeling this wasn't going to be their last encounter.

* * *

On a glass ball, images swirled like water. The ball lied on a purple velvet pillow and the dim lighting in the small room made it glow. The pillow was placed in the center of a table and three girls sat around it. They were playing a game of cards. All of them had the same stringy and gray hair, skinny frames and blank eyes. They were blind. The images in the ball swirled angrily. Among the images one was dominant. That of a screaming Leto being pulled by a flying Perses. A cackle came from the shadows and Eris approached the table.

"Oh, it feels good to see how my plans have run so smoothly." She said snickering. One of the girls looked up from her game and held out a card.

"You're playing a dangerous game Eris. The girl must live in order for the new era to prosper." She said placing the card on the table. The one in the middle looked up once her sister finished speaking. She held another card in the air.

"Leave her be and you'll receive what you want. It was written and shall remain that way." She said. She placed the card on top of the other.

"Play with fate and fate will play with you." The last one finished placing another card on the table. Eris frowned. That wasn't what she wanted to hear.

"What are you hags talking about? I'm supposed to help them?" She seethed while clenching her fists. The three fates continued playing their game and the ball slowly dimmed down. Incomprehensible images dancing around.

"If the girl doesn't return to the Underworld she will die. If she dies, so will Thanatos." They said in unison. Eris heart stopped.

"What? No! Change it! That can't happen! Change Fate!" She shouted at the Fates. But they ignored Eris and kept playing. Eris felt a boiling rage; she turned around to leave and before she did, she glanced one last time at the crystal ball. It showed Thanatos and Hypnos, fighting. She now knew were to go.

**A/N: Here you go! Hope you enjoyed it! I wasn't able to include Zeus but there will be a definete appearance in the next chapter. Please review and tell me what you like about the story or what you don't like. Feedback is apreaciated!**

**Athena of The Greeks: Thank you! I had a feeling you would like Zeus' appearance. He'll be popping up more often now. :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Early Update! :D I just couldn't stop thing about this chapter, had some free time and Voila! Enjoy~**

Thanatos held Hypnos in a headlock. They kneeled on the floor, their identical bodies glistening with sweat.

"Tell me." Thanatos grunted. He was breathing hard and so was Hypnos, who was flinging his arms around trying to get free. They had been brawling for hours. The twins hardly ever fought, but when they did, it always lasted long and both parties always ended up equally hurt. Hypnos grabbed on to Thanatos' arms and flung himself backwards, forcing Thanatos' back to the floor. They crawled away from each other, trying to catch their breath. They were in the middle of Hypnos' bed room. In other words, Hypnos' home since most of his time consisted in sleeping. His home was practically a cave, except for the wooden door that separated it from the rest of the Underworld. His sons, the Oneiroi, sat on the large bed, watching the brawl. They were triplets, all baring the same white hair and blood red eyes as their father. The only way to distinguish them was by the markings on their foreheads. Morpheus sat in the middle, a bright red poppy on his head. To his left was Icelus, who bore a black poppy. To his right was Phantasos; he had a yellow poppy.

"Father, do you wish to rest?" Phantasos asked worriedly. Morpheus smacked him on the back of his head.

"Don't be stupid Phantasos, of course he does. Be silent until father and uncle finish." He scolded. Icelus snickered; delighted that Phantasos was being scolded for once. Morpheus hit him too.

"What was that for?" Icelus complained.

"For laughing." Morpheus replied seriously. The triplets went back to watching the fight. It was beginning to slow down.

"Tell me what you did!" Thanatos shouted; his face went red from anger. Hypnos snarled.

"I did NOTHING!" He shouted back. Thanatos growled, stood up and charged once more. He threw himself at Hypnos and they tumbled forward, their heads hitting the earth floor. The brothers groaned and before they could stand the door slammed open. Eris strode in the room. Her eyes were wild, searching for something to tame. The triplets gasped at the sight of her and began to whisper to themselves.

"Thanatos, Hypnos, stop." Eris said looking at her brothers. She rushed to Thanatos' side; he slapped away the hand she offered.

"Don't touch me." He grunted. He stood on his own and dusted off the dirt of his black exomis. Eris smirked and went to Hypnos and tried to help him stand. Hypnos mimicked his twin. Eris stood between the twins and tapped her foot, waiting for them to pay her attention. The three of them wore black, she noticed. She looked at the triplets, their tunics were a dark purple.

"Brother, try to be reasonable." Hypnos spoke with caution. He did not want to continue the fight. Thanatos said nothing; his anger now directed at Eris. She felt the jumble of emotions in him and silently took pleasure in the fact that she was the cause. She remembered what the fates had said, and frowned. She did not want Thanatos to die. She loved him, even if he hated her. The only person she wanted dead was Leto. Simply because, if Thanatos would not have her then no one should.

"Thanatos, I can explain everything." She said sweetly. She tried to take a step closer but Thanatos unsheathed his sword. The tip directed towards her and she had to fight back the insults that came too naturally in her head. Hypnos stepped closer to his sons protectively. Thanatos sneered.

"Then go ahead, explain, but you will not take one more step." His voice was full of disgust. Eris was conflicted. She liked it when he was angry, but she didn't like that his target was her.

"Fine." She whispered. She sat down on the cave floor. To show she meant no harm, she held her arms in the air. Thanatos kept his ground.

"It was me." Eris said dramatically. She looked at her nails as she spoke and avoided her brother's murderous gaze.

"I told mother. I stole the necklace. I convinced the Oneiroi to haunt your precious Leto's dreams and I told Hades to claim her. It really was fun, too bad I have to stop now." Eris spoke as if she were checking off things in a list and smiled sheepishly as if she had been caught in her prank. Thanatos' blood went cold. It simmered down when he realized he truly wanted her dead. The look of content she gave him was irritating. She was having a blast, while he had been fighting with his twin over nothing. He sheathed his blade, knowing he was incapable of the kill. He could not willingly murder. It was against his nature. He locked eyes with Hypnos' who had calmed down once the sword had been put away.

"I apologize brother; I should have believed you." He said.

"Apology accepted. I'll have you know, I'll punish my sons for meddling with your affairs." Hypnos replied while eyeing the triplets. They looked away in shame.

"Oh, don't do that. I practically threatened them so it really wasn't their fault." Eris told Hypnos. She stood up and dusted her dress. Hypnos glared at her but said nothing.

"I'm not finished with you. What do you mean by having to stop? And how did you find out about us?" Thanatos stood in front of her, his face inches away from hers. Eris smiled. She liked the proximity. She liked his anger. She liked the way his cold red eyes revealed every ugly emotion she knew he was trying to hide. That's why she leaned in and whispered in his ear.

"Good luck getting those answers." Eris giggled and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Thanatos growled. He clutched his hair in frustration and let out an angry shout. Hypnos went over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Thanatos looked at his brother, his eyes gleaming at the verge of angry tears. Hypnos embraced him. Thanatos didn't respond. All he could think about was how angry he was at Eris, and how worried he was for Leto. Eris' words replayed in his head. _I told mother. I stole the necklace. I convinced the Oneiroi to haunt your precious Leto's dreams and I told Hades to claim her…I told Hades to claim her…_ Hadn't he arrived before that happened? Leto didn't eat from the food. She was safe. Right? The only other way to bind someone was if Hade's cursed her but…Hades' handshake. Thanatos' face paled, his already white skin taking a sickly shine.

"No…" He whispered in horror.

"What?" Hypnos asked his face full of worry.

"She has to go back." He mumbled. Hypnos scrunched his nose in confusion. Thanatos leaned on his brother.

"She has to go back!" He exclaimed fearfully. Hypnos held on to him, trying to coax an explanation. But all Thanatos heard was Leto's innocent promise in his head. _I swear on the river Styx…_

* * *

Leto's throat hurt from screaming. Her shrieks had been high pitch and now that she was silent, she felt the consequences. Her back still ached, which was odd. It should have healed by then. Perses had dragged her all the way to Crete. She had tried to tell him that it didn't make sense for Asteria to be in Crete but he didn't listen. Perses simply followed his instincts. Leto had also tried to explain that she wasn't much help in finding people but Perses had replied:

"You're her sister right?" He asked.

"Yeah" Leto had said exasperated.

"Then you're staying with me until we find her." Perses said. End of discussion. They now walked on a beach. They walked on Leto's insistence. She felt worn down and wasn't sure she could run, and she didn't want to fly with Perses ever again.

"I'm telling you Perses. We won't find her on the beach!" She yelled at him. He was walking two yards ahead and she was struggling to keep up.

"How can you be sure?" He asked, stopping for a moment. Leto's feet burned from the hot sand but she ignored the sensation.

"She hates the beach." Leto replied. Perses spun around.

"Really? Why? She's never mentioned it." He asked suddenly curious. Leto sat on the sand and tried to breathe normally. She began to speak, recalling the day, the way the sun had made everything look special. The smell of the sea breeze.

"Once, when we were really young, Mother took us to the beach back at the island. It was really pretty, we liked how the water moved and changed color with the light. Mother was helping us pick up sea shells, but when she wasn't looking we ran off. We had spotted on our walk a small cluster of rocks, where crabs and snails lived. A tide pool, I think it's called. We wanted to see the crabs again. We didn't know the tide could grow, so as we laughed watching the crabs trying to pinch us, the tide grew. The water swept us into the ocean. We didn't know how to swim. We screamed for help but we had wandered too far. We began to drown." Leto hadn't noticed her voice had become soft. She was retelling a story she knew was sensitive for both her and Asteria.

"What happened next?" Perses said just as softly. He was sitting across Leto engrossed with the tail. Leto grinned; she had finally gotten his attention.

"We were rescued." She said looking over at the sea. "It just so happens Poseidon had been swimming with a pod of hippocampus near the island. He noticed us and came to help. I had lasted a while more than Asteria so I was conscious when I saw him. He willed the waves to wash us back to the shore. I saw when he helped Asteria wake up. You'd think she would have been happy to have a savior. That she'd be thankful." Leto grinned.

"Let me guess, she got angry." Perses said chuckling; he knew too well Asteria didn't like being saved. She didn't like feeling weak. Leto snickered.

"Yeah, she did. Once awake she began to curse at the sea and insult Poseidon. She said that she was a titan, the sea should respect her. She basically blamed Poseidon for the incident." Leto agreed with a one last laugh. After she finished her tale, Leto realized she missed Asteria.

"I wonder where she is." She told Perses. His light demeanor darkened.

"So do I." He whispered. Leto saw how much Perses loved her sister just by the way he had said those three words. They remained in silence, both momentarily lost in thought. A mist arose around them and Leto's heart raced believing it was Thanatos. Her expectations were shut down in an instant, when a woman began to form from the mist. She was curvy, had rosy skin and her hair was light brown. She was naked. Leto blushed, not accustomed to seeing so much flesh. Perses didn't bat an eyelash. The mist clung to the woman partially covering her, but it didn't leave anything to the imagination.

"You two finally stopped moving!" The woman exclaimed happily. She fanned herself, like she had been working all day. But she wasn't even sweating.

"I'm Iris, and I'm here with a message for both of you from Asteria." The goddess said happily. Leto eyes widened. Wasn't Iris messages exclusively for Olympians?

"What is it? Is she safe?" Perses asked. Iris smiled at Perses.

"Yes, safe and bathed." Perses and Leto raised an eyebrow. Bathed? Iris didn't notice. She continued to speak.

"The message is: 'I'm at Olympus, don't worry everything is fine. Perses stop dragging Leto around and Leto please get over here.' And that's it!" Iris said handing them the strip of paper she had been reading from. Leto groaned. She was happy Asteria was safe but why did she have to go all the way to Olympus. All she wanted was some sleep. Perses on the other hand was enthusiastic. Leto laughed, how did Asteria know he was dragging her along? She must know him to the core. Leto stood up.

"Ok. Let's go." She told Perses. Perses smile widened, he scrambled up and stood beside Leto, ready to fly off.

"Wait! He can't go!" Iris said holding her hands in the air, trying to separate them. Leto frowned, Perses growled.

"What do you mean I can't go?" He asked Iris. The naked goddess, flinched, unaccustomed to being in danger. An angry Perses was immediate danger.

"Zeus' orders. That's all I know." She said apologetically. She stepped away from Perses, fearing a bad reaction. She was right to do so. Perses face went beet red. He faced the sea and let out an ear splitting roar. The power from his voice created a string of vibrations that forced the sea back, momentarily revealing the sandy floor. Leto and Iris stared at Perses in amazement. The air around him was tense and Leto feared he wasn't thinking straight. Perses turned around to face them. Iris was standing behind Leto, using her as a shield. Leto searched Perses eyes for some form of control. But the yellow coals only said one thing: Nothing can control destruction.

"We have to get out of here." Leto told Iris. The goddess nodded rapidly. She willed the mist around them to thicken.

"Come on!" Iris said. A rainbow appeared in front of them, touching the shore. Leto grabbed the hand Iris offered and climbed up the rainbow. Just as they did they heard another roar.

"Can you run?" Iris asked her. Leto wanted to say 'No'. Her back was killing her, her arms hurt and her feet burned from walking over the hot sand.

"Of course." She said out of pride. Iris smiled in relief.

"Then let's go!" The naked goddess began to run forward, and Leto followed behind. They quickly left the beach, walking through the sky over the rainbow that was serving as a bridge. Leto pushed herself forward and forced herself to not look down. Running over the rainbow was far easier that running in the forest. There were no obstacles in the way, except distance. They ran in fear that Perses might follow. But there were no signs confirming it. Olympus was very far away, but once in a stride, even feeling so beaten up, Leto felt unstoppable. In a matter of minutes they neared the mountain.

"What's that?" Leto asked, pointing towards the far left of the mountain. There was a large dark cloud, lighting was visible and so was the rain.

"A storm, probably Zeus, not sure." Iris said between breaths. They reached Olympus, the rainbow led them straight inside to a garden with a large fountain in the center. Iris helped Leto step off the rainbow and then got back up.

"Still have lot's more places to go!" She said while waving goodbye. Leto waved back and just as soon as she looked away, the rainbow and mist were gone. _What now?_

"Leto, am I correct?" A nymph appeared from a nearby bush. Leto smiled.

"That's me." She said warmly. She liked nymphs; they were always fun to talk to. The nymph smiled back, surprised to receive such a reaction.

"This way please." The nymph said. She led Leto out of the garden.

"What's your name?" Leto asked as they passed a corridor filled with flowers and delicate columns.

"Chloe." She replied.

"So where are you taking me Chloe?" Leto asked. Chloe seemed to hesitate before answering.

"To the baths, and then to the dining hall, where the others are waiting." Chloe said, they continued to walk and Leto felt happy. At least she had someone to talk to now.

* * *

Asteria sat beside Hestia in the middle of the long table. At the front was Zeus, to his right Demeter, then Hera and Aphrodite. At Zeus' left was Poseidon. There was an empty chair between Poseidon and Asteria that was meant for Leto.

When Hera had left the garden, Asteria had exploded with questions for Demeter. Where's Zeus? Where's Poseidon? When can I leave? Is there any way for me to communicate with my sister? What's with the sudden storm outside? Demeter had answered all that she could. Apparently Zeus and Poseidon were dealing with said storm, though Demeter didn't want to dive into the details. She also explained that it was getting late and that Zeus expected her to stay the night. As for communication, Hestia left in search of Iris. Asteria didn't want to stay in Olympus but when Zeus expected something of you, you had to comply if you didn't want problems. When Iris arrived, Asteria gave her the message. She wasn't going to tell Leto to come over but Zeus and Poseidon had arrived at that exact moment. They insisted she should come. Now they sat in the dining room, waiting for her arrival.

Asteria unfortunately sat across from Hera. She wanted to ignore the goddess, but it was like trying to ignore a bug you wanted squashed. They glared at each other while the others chatted happily. When the doors opened and laughter followed, Asteria had not imagined it was Leto. Her sister was a quiet one she knew. But when everyone in the table turned to see who had arrived; she was shocked to see her sister, surrounded by a group of happy nymphs. They were talking enthusiastically and Asteria smiled seeing how comfortable Leto seemed. The sight was strange for the others.. No one in Olympus really spoke with the nymphs.

After the initial shock, the group broke off their stairs and continued to chat. Asteria continued her staring contest, intensifying her glare. Hera did the same. Zeus cleared his throat and the nymphs quickly realized they had stepped out of bounds. They silently apologized and bid Leto farewell. They left like dogs with their tails between their legs.

"Welcome Leto!" Zeus exclaimed, standing up and walking over to her. "Come, sit, we've been waiting." Zeus placed his hand on Leto's back and led her to her seat.

"Thank you." She mumbled, already uncomfortable. Asteria knew she was nervous, just by hearing her speak. Everyone was paying her close attention. Asteria momentarily broke away from Hera's glare to speak with her sister. She found Poseidon smiling at Leto. Leto blushed, visibly embarrassed. Asteria understood the feeling. If she didn't loath Poseidon she would have had the same reaction. He was like a magnet, hard to ignore. Leto faced Asteria.

"Hey." Leto whispered.

"Hey." Asteria replied.

"You mind explaining what's going on?" She asked. Asteria felt bad Leto had been dragged here, and that she couldn't explain.

"Not now, later." She said. She gave Leto her 'I'm sorry' face. Leto sighed. They looked around the table and Asteria quickly resumed her contest with Hera. Leto was on her own now.

"It's been a while." Poseidon said. Leto sneaked a glance at him, to see if he was speaking to her. He was. Leto tried her best to keep a neutral face.

"Yeah, since the coronation." She said, hoping the conversation would stick to small talk.

"You look more beautiful since then. You have a sort of glow about you." He said; his eyes bright and inviting. Leto blushed again involuntarily. She wished she had more control of her facial expressions. Poseidon smiled. He edged closer to her, placed his arm on her chair and leaned his face to whisper.

"If you ask Aphrodite she'd say it's love." He whispered, his deep voice sending chills down Leto's spine. She grinned awkwardly, slightly moving away. At the coronation he had treated her the exact same way. Hovering over her, giving compliments, showing off his beautiful smile and blue-green eyes. She didn't enjoy the attention then, she wasn't enjoying it now. Thou, now it felt worse. It was like Poseidon was determined. He wasn't taking 'no' for an answer. Leto wished he would. No matter how handsome he was, she loved Thanatos.

"Soooo! I think I heard my name over there." Aphrodite suddenly raised her crystal clear voice. She directed her attention to Leto. _Why me?_ Leto complained in her head.

"Love's such a wonderful thing, you know? A little birdie told me that you're seeing a certain god of death." She said singingly. The table quieted down hearing the new bit of gossip. Leto wished someone else were in her place. All eyes were on her.

"How do you know that?" She asked. Aphrodite laughed at the question.

"Oh, you can't hide love from me, Leto. So it's true then? Oh that's too bad Poseidon." Aphrodite said in mock apology. Poseidon glared at her.

"You're being courted by Death? Well that's a shame. Why is such beauty being wasted on a minor deity? I'm sure there are others more worthy of you." Zeus said, obviously trying to help Poseidon. His words were like daggers. Minor deity? If that was Thanatos, then what was she? She was just a titan. Goddess of Hidden things? That was a minor position. Leto faltered not knowing how to respond. Asteria came to her rescue.

"Is that really such a bad thing? At least we minor deities can manage stable relationships." She said coldly. The words weren't just for Zeus. Hera glared at her. Poseidon clenched his teeth. Aphrodite scoffed. Demeter blushed and Zeus simply sighed.

"That is not what I meant to say Asteria." Zeus said softly, trying to mend what he had done. Before he could continue servants burst through one of the doors and began to place food on the table. The sweet scent of fresh food was enough to pacify the tension in the air. Everyone began to eat and soon friendly chatter reemerged. Their chalices were full of nectar and ambrosia was placed near every plate. Leto and Asteria both dug in. Their hunger far greater than anyone else in the table. Leto drank nectar in mouthfuls in hope of healing faster. She was puzzled by the fact she had hardly healed since the incident at the orchard. She wondered if she was just tired. Whatever the reason for her slow healing, Lego sought to solve it quickly. The nectar seemed to work, both sisters felt more relaxed and rested. They no longer felt pained or stressed. The problem was, they weren't used to drinking so much of the precious liquid. The Olympians drank it daily but Leto and Asteria lived in Kos were nectar was scarce. They were unfamiliar with the intoxicating fragrance or the addictive taste. Very soon they were giggling at every little joke and smiling idiotically..

The gods on the other hand would have been sober if they had not started mixing their nectar with wine. Hestia, too young to taste the purple liquid looked at everyone who spoke in slurs and laughed happily, quizzically. Zeus was shouting a war story and Asteria was staring at him like her life depended on it. Poseidon had an arm around Leto while he sang a song and Leto was giggling hysterically. Demeter had fallen asleep on top of the table. Hera sat on Zeus' lap laughing at everything he said. The only one who seemed sober was Aphrodite, who looked bored.

"What's wrong with them?" Hestia asked her. Aphrodite snorted.

"They're drunk." She said.

"What about you?" Hestia questioned. Hera had begun to kiss Zeus on the neck. Asteria threw a bread roll and yelled 'stop it!'

"Oh no, I've been waiting for them to get like this so I can leave." She replied while standing up. She snapped her fingers and her dark hair turned blond, blue eyes went green and the white toga she had on turned into a skimpy red dress.

"I'm going to have fun." She said waggling her eyebrows. Hestia blushed understanding what she meant.

"See you around, kid." Aphrodite said before leaving the dining room. Poseidon wailed a very high note and Leto shrieked with laughter. Hestia eyed everyone and decided to never get drunk. You just end up looking stupid.

* * *

Leto opened her eyes. Her eyelids felt heavy and she realized she had slept without any dreams. She smiled. No nightmares. Sighing, she felt energy finally course through her veins. She sat up in bed and fell back on her pillow, dizzy. Her head throbbed and she felt her stomach do a somersault. Leto closed her eyes and concentrated on waking up. She was in a dark room. _Ok, it's night time_? There were no windows she realized. Part of her mind reminded her she was in Olympus. _Oh, right._

Leto tried to move her legs and yelped when she couldn't. A million thoughts ran through her head. The one she most feared being her back injury had paralyzed her. She rubbed her eyes and pulled away the covers to take a look. She found a half naked Poseidon sleeping over her legs, holding on to her thighs, pinning them down. _No worries, just Poseidon. _

That didn't sound right.

She stared at his muscled form for a full minute waiting for it to change or disappear, like people usually do in dreams. Nothing happened. Leto rubbed her eyes again. He was still there. Her heart began to race.

"This doesn't make sense." She said out loud. How did Poseidon end up in her bed? Half naked. On top of her. _No, no, no, no…_Leto poked him. He was real. Leto screamed.

At the sound of her wail, Poseidon woke up in an instant. He sprang to life.

"What, what happened?" He said sleepily sitting on the bed, his fists up in the air, ready to fight. Once he noticed there was no danger, Poseidon yawned. He stretched his arms and slid down back in bed beside Leto with his hands behind his head. He looked at Leto.

"Morning." He said cheekily. Leto's eyes were so wide she resembled a fish. Poseidon pointed that out, poking her cheek. Leto scrambled from bed taking the bed sheets with her and stood with her back against the wall. She looked around her. The room was huge, the funiture decorated with sea shells and gold. On a wall rested a bronze triton. Poseidon hadn't slept in her bed, it was the other way around. She looked at him, and noticed she could see him completely. He was only wearing a loin cloth and much like the mist that clung to Iris, I didn't leave much to the imagination. Leto took a deep breath and closed her eyes_. Noo! Not with him!_ She pleaded desperately. Opening her eyes to look at herself she saw she was only wearing her undergarments. Her heart stopped. She felt a weight over her shoulders. Guilt was trying to strangle her heart. Finally she looked at Poseidon again. He was sitting on the side of the bed, watching Leto. He smiled smugly.

"You don't remember anything do you?" He asked. Leto was paralyzed. This was it. She had to ask.

"No, did we, do, um, you know?" She asked, stuttering, her face the reddest it had ever been. Poseidon laughed.

"Relax, we didn't get that far. I passed out before anything serious happened." He said waving a hand in the air. His tone was almost one of disappointment. Leto's face told another story. She smiled in relief. She slumped on the floor and let out the breath she was holding and silently thanked the Fates. Poseidon got out of bed with no problem. He showed no signs of having been drunk. Leto on the other hand felt horrible_. Why does everything hurt? _She felt like crying from the pain and stress, but she would never do so in front of Poseidon. She wanted to talk to Asteria. Poseidon strode over and kneeled in front of Leto.

"You better hide this if you don't want anyone finding out." He said touching the nape of leto's neck. Leto swatted his hand away and touched her neck. She felt a bite mark. She gasped and Poseidon snickedred at her reaction.

"New at this, huh? Well if you don't want anyone to know, you better leave my room as soon as possible." He said as he picked up a shirt that was lying on the floor. He pulled it on and Leto couldn't help but stare.

"Please don't tell." She said in a whisper. She felt on the verge of tears. She was happy nothing happened but also felt horrible that she had to lie now. No one could now, because with Poseidon's reputation, no one would believe her if she said the truth.

"Don't worry, I promise I won't tell anyone. I wouldn't want your beloved leaving you for a stupid mistake." He said more kindly. His blue-green eyes shone with sincerity. Leto sighed. She told herself to never trust those eyes again. Still she stood up and let Poseidon hand her back the dress she had borrowed. It was slightly ripped. Leto raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry. I said we didn't go that far, that doesn't mean we didn't do anything." Poseidon said once again smiling. Leto felt rage boil inside her. _How can he smile so casually? This isn't a game. If Thanatos finds out…it would break his heart._ Leto pulled on the dress. She felt like she was in a trance, not really sure on how to proceed. Her brain kept racking around trying to find any memory of last night. She cursed under her breath. How was she supposed to lie about something she didn't remember? Hopefully no one else did. And was Poseidon telling the truth? Leto glanced at him. The way he was looking at her suggested otherwise.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey everyone! Super duper sorry for the late update, been having a lot of stress lately and was blocked, so I couldn't write. I finally finished this and it turned out really different from what i planned, sometimes **** i swear ****these stories write themselves XD**

**I hope you like it, thanks for reading/ reviewing and all the rest. Please let me know what you think ^^**

**Peace out~**

* * *

Leto looked at herself in the mirror. Poseidon's room was still dark but Leto's eyes were used to darkness and night. So she could see herself perfectly in the mirror. What she saw wasn't perfect. She had slipped into her torn dress and now she stared at the full damage. The sleeves were almost inexistent, the cloth was smeared with nectar and unknown food and the frilly skirt looked deflated and limp. Not just the dress was ruined; Leto wasn't exactly the picture of health at the moment. Her dark hair was tangled and had lost its shine. Her skin was paler, if that was possible. Her eyes were sunken, proof that she hadn't had proper sleep. What stood out the most were the bruises. They covered her body, some blue, the larger ones purple and a few nicks were red; those must have been recent. Leto turned and took a look at her back, where the dress had been ripped and now her flesh was visible. Her white skin was nonexistent, it had been beaten to a dark purple that was almost black.

"That wasn't my fault." Said Poseidon over from the bed, where he sat watching Leto. She already knew that, the bruise must have been from the blast back at the orchard. The fact that it was still there after having drunk so much nectar worried her. But Leto pushed those thoughts back as she turned around to face Poseidon.

"And the other ones?" She asked horrified. She looked at Poseidon questioningly. Her face demanded answers.

"I thought you didn't want to hear about it." Poseidon pointed out.

Leto looked back at her reflection. She shuddered. The less she knew about last night, the better.

"Yes, I don't; it's just, are you always this…" she stopped speaking, searching for the right word.

"Rough?" Poseidon asked. He walked over to her side. Leto shuffled her feet in order to keep a distance between them. Poseidon smirked, closing the distance in a second and taking Leto by the waist.

"No, not always." He breathed into her neck. Leto felt the warmth from his mouth and stiffened. Poseidon ignored her discomfort and with one hand pulled Leto's hair away from her face and neck. Revealing, the bite mark he had left during the night. Leto frowned; she had been avoiding it, purposely covering the mark with her hair. She could pretend most of the bruises were from being beaten or something else. The bite mark, though, was the only proof that Poseidon's lips had been against her skin. Leto scowled at the thought.

"Don't like my souvenir?" Poseidon asked. Leto gave him a cold look. She pulled away from his hand, feeling disgusted. She walked over to the other side of the room, having mixed feelings. _Run or try to beat the crap out of this jerk?_ She chastised herself. Violence wouldn't help her. Poseidon was too strong. Leto looked at herself once again. Her anger taking a different route of escape.

"You don't really expect me to leave, wearing this?" She asked gesturing to her tattered dress. She was practically naked. Poseidon looked unfazed. Leto widened her eyes, waiting for a response.

"You can leave like that or wearing only your pretty skin. You choose." Poseidon replied. He smiled at Leto's growing displeasure. Anger now beckoned her to do something. _Punch him_.

"I can't leave like this." She said trying to reign in her emotions.

"Then don't." Leto looked at him in disbelief. _Is he serious?_ Anger boiled, more towards herself than anyone. _I thought he would help, but it's obvious he doesn't intend to. Why do I always end up in difficult situations? Calm down, try to reason with him. Maybe if you ask nicely, he'll help. I don't want his help. Of course you don't but what other choice is there?_

"Please…" she began to say; she hated sounding so pitiful but he was leaving her no other choice but to beg. She couldn't do this alone. She couldn't lead a lie alone. Even if he had promised not to tell anyone, Leto didn't trust herself. She was never a good liar. Poseidon stopped her, hand in air.

"No. It sounds too troublesome." He said immediately. Leto closed her open mouth and her body practically pleaded for her to say something back. _Do it. Show him you're not his toy. You don't have to take his shit._ She went to his side and spoke again, this time louder and more demanding.

"You're really not going to help? You expect me to just leave now, and face whoever I encounter and lie my way through? In case you haven't noticed I'm not that kind of person. I don't just sleep around with whoever offers himself! Who do you think you are? I have pride too you know!" She shouted at him, with the full force of the rage and stress that had been kept under check for the past three days. She shook from the force of it and tears welled up at the thought of having even kissed someone other than Thanatos. The guilt was overwhelming. Poseidon interrupted her once more. He grabbed her wrist and pushed Leto against the wall making her yelp in surprise.

"What are you doing?" She protested. Poseidon covered her mouth, muffling her words.

"You should shut up now." He said seriously. His tone was completely different from before. Poseidon was no longer joking around, his eyes shone and Leto wondered what emotion they displayed.

"It's nearly the crack of dawn and if you keep shouting like that, someone is bound to wake and at this hour what will they say then? You can't exactly tell them that you just stumbled into my room in the middle of the night. Now, _that_, nobody will believe." He spoke softly, as if to reassure the need for secrecy and silence. Leto stopped struggling. They stayed quiet and still for a full minute. Noticing the change of demeanor Poseidon let her go. He left her standing against the wall and walked to his large wardrobe. Opening it and rummaging through it in silence.

A million thoughts ran through Leto's head. Her anger had been abated in an instant and her nerves were on overdrive. Had someone heard her? Was her secret out that fast? She didn't know and worse she didn't know what to expect from Poseidon. She had always considered Thanatos mysterious but Poseidon stole the show. One minute a flirt the next Almighty God of Seriousness. She had no idea what to do now. So she decided to go with something simple. Curiosity. She felt stupid for asking but she did so anyway.

"How can you tell the time of day in this place?" She said, looking around the windowless room. Poseidon sighed, pulling a small white toga from the wardrobe.

"You're a strange one." He said more to himself than to her. Leto scoffed. She's strange? _Have you seen yourself?_

"I can tell the time, because of the clock you obviously didn't see, that's hanging on the wall over there." He said, pointing to his left. Leto was suddenly grateful for the darkness; it hid her embarrassed expression.

"You really don't want anyone to know?" Poseidon asked. Leto looked over at him and found him staring straight back.

"Yes." She whispered. More than anything she wished that Thanatos never found out.

"Good, because the less Amphitrite knows the better." He muttered. Again, something Leto didn't expect.

"So you're not helping me, you're only helping yourself?" Leto asked, trying not to roll her eyes.

"If you dislike the idea, think of it as me helping you and in return you're helping me. Equivalent exchange." He said, his playful tone returning. Leto wondered what really went inside his head.

"Then why were you being so difficult?" She asked letting her annoyance show. Poseidon smiled, his white teeth gleaming. He tossed her the toga. Leto caught it easily.

"You make faces when you're angry. It was fun to watch." He said. Leto wondered what anyone saw in this guy that would make them willingly go to bed with him. Poseidon strode over to her.

"You know, you remind me of the sea, always mysterious, always unpredictable. I liked that." He said, tucking a curl behind her ear. His voice was thick, his touch soft and his eyes captivating. He had compared her to the sea but she felt like an open book. You really couldn't tell what was going on behind those blue-green eyes. _There's your answer, good looks and pretty words._ Leto pulled away; suddenly aware of their proximity. How had he managed to get so close in a few seconds? Poseidon face was inches away from hers.

"Liked, I said liked." He whispered in her ear. "Don't worry I got a taste of you already and now I realize you're not what I'm looking for." He said casually once more. He began to search for something in his nightstand. Leto watched him. Her pride aching, from the hit.

"What are you looking for?" She asked, hiding once again her hurt and anger behind a mask of curiosity.

"Someone capable of opening up." He said, closing the first drawer and opening the second. Another hit, spot on. _I'm capable of opening up, _she protested in herhead_._ She did that all the time. At least with Thanatos and Asteria she did. Leto rubbed her arms, feeling exposed.

"I meant to say what you are looking for right now." She said, ignoring her pride. Poseidon didn't seem to hear. He took out a small jar from the drawer with an 'a-ha!' and smiled triumphantly. It was a jar full of pearls. Poseidon took one and gave it to Leto.

"That'll help get rid of the bruises, even the big one." He explained. The news brought a smile out of Leto. One less thing to worry about.

"Do you remember where the baths and your room are?" He asked. Leto nodded. She couldn't exactly forget, especially after the nymphs had shown her around before dinner.

"Then you should go now, it's still too early for anyone else to be awake." He said heading to the door and quietly opening it. Leto surged forward desperate to leave. Poseidon stopped her.

"Toss it in the bath water and let the skin soak in the water. It will take a while but it will help." He said once again serious. Leto looked at him and then at the pearl hopefully, before clutching it tight. She wondered what to say to make him just as uncomfortable as she felt. Instead she did what she knew was right.

"Thanks." She whispered. She left with pouted lips, a bit angry at herself. _You should have punched him. Well, it's too late._ She headed off to the right, letting her memory take her to her destination. She didn't look back, not wanting to remember where his room lay. Walking felt right; she was walking away from a bad night. Yet Leto still felt angry, still felt soiled and guilt wasn't the only thing on her mind. She wished the pearl in her hand could just take every bad thought away and wash away every worry and every ill feeling. Leto groaned remembering how she had just been treated. Like a pet, shooed away from the house.

Walking through the halls away from Poseidon's room wasn't as satisfying as she initially thought. It was nerve racking, Leto felt like a squirrel, fidgeting along in silence hoping not to encounter anyone. When she saw the large door that led to the open baths, Leto thanked the fates. She kept thanking the fates, as she walked over to the entrance. Inside, she thanked them once again because they were empty. Leto ripped away what was left of her dress and slowly eased herself inside the large cement pool. She tossed the pearl a few feet away from her and waited. Steam rose from where the pearl had landed and the smell of sea foam filled the air. At once the water began to work its way around her. The initial warmth she had felt from the water turned into a cooling sensation. It reminded her of the cold air from the Underworld, except this cold felt friendly. It was soothing and evidently healing. She watched as her skin slowly regained its normal complexion and immediately Leto began to feel better. She let herself drift in the pool, the clear water carrying her around in a circle. She smiled, her body finally feeling rested. _For now…_

Leto shook her head trying to chase away the negative thoughts. Those didn't seem to come to an end. She floated not caring about how long she should stay and not noticing the black key that glowed on her palm, having grown in size and becoming darker.

* * *

Poseidon waited until Leto disappeared around the corner before also leaving. He only had on a white shirt and navy blue shorts. If Amphitrite saw him, she'd be horrified. She hated it, when he put on casual clothes. That's why on Olympus that was all he tried to wear. Poseidon walked in the opposite direction from Leto, heading for the end of the hall, were the master bedroom, Zeus' bedroom was. The door was unlocked as usual. The room was huge and vastly decorated in gold and white silk. To the right was a large wardrobe, a door leading to a personal bath, and a large desk. To the left was a bookshelf, a rack of decorative weapons and another door that led to a walking closet. At the end was the enormous bed with a small loveseat in front of it. Lying on top of the bed with a foot dangling from the side was Zeus. Poseidon went to his side. He conjured a bucket full of water and without batting an eyelash he dumped the water over Zeus' sleeping head.

"What in the name of Styx!" Zeus exclaimed as he woke up in an instant. He slightly fumbled around his hands searching for a weapon when he noticed who it was by his side, he mumbled a curse.

"What do you want?" Zeus muttered rubbing his eyes and then gasping.

"Was that salt-water?" He cried, scrambling away from his sheets and stumbling towards the bathroom. His half naked form glistened from the water and Poseidon walked over to the loveseat.

"Yes. If it had been fresh water, you might have just kept on sleeping." He said, sitting down. Poseidon waited silently as Zeus composed himself and entered the bathroom to wash his face. A few minutes passed and Zeus emerged, salt-water free.

"What do you want?" Zeus repeated. This time he was fully awake and his displeasure was evident. He wasn't a morning person.

"What I want is for us to finish what you started yesterday." Poseidon said, just as annoyed. Zeus scowled.

"I started? It was them that sought for blood!" Zeus complained. "They're the ones that want more than what fate has offered. I offered them peace and they disrespect me by claiming I'm in no position to rule?" Zeus started his rant and Poseidon sighed.

"Everyone in Olympus knows the war left us divided, if the titans that remained our allies start to feel displeased with their current status, a revolt will begin and the last thing we need is another war." Poseidon said.

"They've already lost, and I was gracious enough to offer shelter to those who wished it. What more do they want? Land? Riches? No, they want power. Power is for winners, not for the ones who beg mercy!" Zeus shouted, ignoring his brother.

"All the more reason to take the high road. You don't suppress a rebellion with violence! You rip it by the root, by taking away the doubt. If they see you to be agreeable, even for just a moment, you'll gain their trust, and all could be averted. But no! You just had to show them how powerful you are by fighting back!" Poseidon shouted back. The brothers stood facing each other. The room's aura pulsing with their anger and power.

"They went to my territory, close to my mountain. They meant to disrespect! I had to act." Zeus grunted.

"There are other ways to react to those type of situations." Poseidon said, trying to reason.

"What do you know?" Zeus taunted; his voice low and menacing. Poseidon frowned.

"I'm also a king, Zeus. I've dealt my hand of situations." Poseidon replied just as menacing. Zeus smirked.

"King of what, fishes and seaweed?" Zeus scoffed. Poseidon eyes widened, he raised an eyebrow daring his brother to continue.

"You think yourself better than me, believing that if you were on the throne, you'd do a better job. Well let me tell you something, brother. YOU ARE NOT KING!" Zeus hollered. Poseidon remained silent. Zeus placed his hand on Poseidon's shoulder and squeezed hard.

"I am." He whispered. Poseidon glared at him. His face becoming hard as stone.

"Well, your highness, you don't need my help then." Poseidon shoved Zeus' hand away and strutted towards the door. Zeus rolled his eyes. _Typical_, he thought.

"Hey, Zeus?" Poseidon called from the door. Zeus didn't speak; instead he turned around to face the sea god.

"Next time you spike the nectar, make sure you take the right woman to bed." Poseidon said. He smirked and turned on his heel and left. Zeus stood motionless, processing what he just heard. He recalled last night's events. They had all been drunk; they had all done stupid things. When the night was almost over he remembered holding on to someone. He had planned on taking Asteria but his memory was a bit fuzzy. Was it Asteria or was it… Hera? Zeus' eyes widened. He jerked his head, towards his bed and saw a small form, under the covers. In an instant he tore the bed sheets away and there, lying on her side, was a smiling Hera. She wore a frilly nightgown, he knew no one else but he must have seen. Hera wasn't one to show skin.

"You know, this is no way for the future queen of Olympus to wake." She purred. Zeus stared at her.

"Why the long face? You should be happy you found yourself such a wonderful bride. I'm faithful too, you know. Until now I've been a virgin goddess, I wonder how that changes. Maybe, I'll become Goddess of Matrimony? Oh yes, that sounds nice. We should start planning quickly too. I don't want a war to interfere, so you better resolve your dispute with Poseidon." She spoke quickly and with authority. Zeus stared at her like she was crazy.

"You don't want to marry me, huh?" Hera said, deducing the look he gave her. "Well that's a problem. You see, I'm not Demeter. I'm not willing to just be another one of your many lovers. I, just like you, like getting what I want. And you may not like it, but really what choice do you have? If word gets out that you're after Asteria, well that will just complicate things." Hera said. She smiled lightly as if she spoke of spring flowers or babbling brooks. She got out of bed and walked over to Zeus's side.

"How do you know?" Zeus demanded.

"That you wanted to take Asteria as a wife? Well, Aphrodite senses such things you know and I happen to be a persuasive person. That's what you wanted, just as Poseidon mentioned, you wanted to kill the voice of titan rebellion by the root. What better way than to marry one of them?" Hera said.

"That wasn't all to it." Zeus mumbled.

"Oh, I know, you like her. It's obvious. You wanted to kill two birds with one stoned, too bad to you the eagle swooped in and stole the prize." Hera whispered.

"You mock me?" Zeus spat, eyeing Hera distastefully. Hera took a step back.

"Mock? No! Don't you see I'm saving your dignity? That titan was already claimed by Destruction before you even considered the idea of marriage. Pursuing her was failure from the beginning." She said genuinely. Hera sat down on the bed, watching as Zeus expression changed.

"That does not entitle you to marry me." He replied. Hera frowned.

"Then enjoy Destruction's wrath because if you don't marry me, I'll make sure he finds out about your scheme and then you will have all three brother's to deal with." Hera spoke just above a whisper, her eyes darkly serious. Zeus stared at her, contemplating her words. He wasn't surprised she knew so much. Hera always knew too much. He was mad, because he didn't have much of a choice. He was already having problems; if Hera interfered war would be the end result. War must always be avoided unless you are out to conquest. Every king knows that. No, this was a time for peace. Phoebe's prediction guaranteed he would begin a new era. For that he needed peace. Even if it meant marrying someone he didn't love.

"And if I agree to marry you, what then?" He asked, regretting already what he was considering. Hera smiled widely.

"Then war is averted and I'll help you regain Poseidon's council, in order to extinguish the flame of rebellion." She said quickly.

"We both know Poseidon is stubborn and he meant what he said; I'll not receive help from him." Zeus said, walking away from Hera, heading once again to the bathroom.

"You can't do it alone, you need him." Hera warned.

"I'm king!" Zeus shouted at her, feeling his rage from the fight with Poseidon still there. Hera scowled.

"Yes, but you didn't become one by yourself." Hera sounded far older than she appeared and Zeus couldn't ignore her words. He frowned, angry at himself for complying with her.

"Tell you what. I'll marry you, if you manage to get him to help." Zeus said, convinced Poseidon wouldn't bend to their sister's will. Hera grinned.

"Then you better start sending out invitations, because everyone has a price." She said. Hera smirked already knowing Poseidon's; a dark haired- purple eyed-titan that so happened to be residing in Olympus at the moment. She smiled, it was the beginning of a fruitful day.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Oh gosh, I can't believe I took so long to finish this chapter! It felt like it didn't want to be born. Oh well, it's here now, that's what counts. **

**Thank you all for being patient and for reading this story! Thank you for the reviews, they make me happy :3 If you have any questions, suggestions or you just want to talk, PM me. Or leave a review, whatever pleases you :)**

**Peace and love~**

* * *

A cloud swallowed the crescent moon and for a moment the island of Kos was engulfed with darkness. The trees swayed uneasily and the land shivered slightly from the cold. The only sound you could hear was that of crunching leaves. Phoebe trudged forward, her bare feet stepping over the forest floor. Her tall form stumbled over tree roots and branches would claw at her skin.

It wasn't the dark of the wilderness that made her constantly trip or stumble. Nor the cold that made her body shiver. Phoebe was dying. After sharing her vision with Asteria something changed in her. The empty white rooms that they had crossed together had not been what she had expected. They were usually crowded with spirits of her followers, her oracles. Somehow they were gone. Proof that the mortals weren't paying as much reverence to her as before. The clarity in her visions had also disappeared. Now she didn't enter a state of precognition. Her visions had become constant, a mass of future and past memories mixed in the same cauldron, that force fed her with a bitter spoon. Her mind was split in half. The only bodily sing of this were her eyes. One was still blue but the other had turned gold. One remained natural, the other had perpetual sight. Phoebe no longer could escape her visions, she was living them.

She stepped on a sharp rock, it sliced through her skin and the pain went unregistered. It didn't heal itself. Phoebe trudged on. The night around her shimmered with darkness and a cloud appeared in front of her. Nyx's head popped from the cloud and floated in front of Phoebe's face.

"You don't seem surprised." Nyx said.

"You don't own me mother." She mumbled. Nyx raised a brow, but Phoebe continued to mumble to herself. "No, not him! You don't deserve any better. You're a monster Eris. What are you? Stop it, stop it. STOP IT!" Phoebe shrieked in Nyx's face, she clawed at her own hair and began to sob. Then as suddenly as Phoebe had screamed, she stopped crying and kept walking, ignoring Nyx.

"I came to speak to you." She told the floating head of Night. Nyx hid her confusion.

"I believe I'm the one who came to you."

"When was that before or after I die? " Phoebe asked the night air. Nyx scowled, not understanding a single word she was saying.

"Phoebe, the prophetic light, I demand you face me and speak to me clearly." Nyx ordered, fed up with her behavior. Phoebe stopped walking and turned around to face Nyx. Her golden eye was crying blood. Crimson tears stained her skin. The sight brought Nyx to silence. Then Phoebe's blue eye widened, having a sudden realization.

"Lady Nyx! I've been searching for you but only was able to find council with your consort." Phoebe said cheerfully, her tone returning to normal. The voices from her visions, dimming the slightest bit, to let her speak. Nyx sighed.

"Yes, Erebus has spoken with me, I came to…"

"You want me to tell you how to prevent what I saw, and after I tell you there's no way out, you'll ignore my advice and devise a plan with your son and daughter to keep Thanatos alive, but you will fail either way because fate can only be changed by fate itself, or rather the fates." She said quickly, getting right to the point.

"I have no such plan." Nyx protested, still not understanding what she heard.

"Not yet, but soon you will and as I said it will fail." Phoebe replied.

"I don't want my boy to die." Nyx said as more of her body took solid form. Phoebe chuckled.

"Fate is a game of cards that you will always lose even when you think you have an ace up your sleeve." Phoebe chanted the words like they were an old rhyme.

"I do not understand." Nyx said, part of her hair wiping in the air angrily.

"Of course you don't, that type of game still doesn't exist. To put it simply play with fate, fate will play you." Phoebe replied, her golden eye stopped crying. Nyx still didn't follow her.

"What?" she asked confused. Then, Phoebe looked her straight in the eye, and the look she gave was so eerie, so strange, that Nyx understood she wasn't talking to someone with reason anymore.

"Our children will die, whether you try to prevent it or not."

"This is why I came to you, how can they die? We're immortal." Nyx asked, she was feeling more disturbed by the minute. She feared her questions would go unanswered.

"There is more than one type of death, my lady." Phoebe whispered, both her eyes began to cry and slowly the blue one changed to gold. Nyx eyes widened, she opened her mouth to speak again but Phoebe turned on her heel and continued her staggering march.

"Play with fate, it will play you. Change of times is almost due. When the sun and moon rise as one, that's when the tide will come. Gods will take what once was ours, titans quake under new powers-" Phoebe sang and continued to sing as she trudged on. Nyx frowned and didn't bother to follow. She sighed, and rose into the air. She left, and with her the dark cloud over the moon. The moon's light shone once again over the island and once again it shone over Phoebe's skin. She felt the light and raised her head to the sky. A crooked smile greeted the moon and two golden eyes wept red for the stars.

"The Golden Age has finally ended, time for us titans to step down from our long gone thrones and let the youth receive what they rightfully claimed. You were right Coeus, it's better to die this way." Phoebe grinned, and continued to sing, as before. But now with each step she became slower until, finally she stopped altogether and lied down on the cold forest floor. She continued to sing to herself, spouting future events that no one would hear. She continued to sing, whispering hopeful wishes that would never come true.

* * *

Hera walked gracefully through Olympus. Her steps silent and her chin up high. If she was to be queen, she must look the part. She passed through Demeter's garden quickly, determined to not be stooped. Zeus had given her the offer she had been waiting for, and she'd be damned before she didn't take it. She headed for the far edge of Olympus were the smallest garden was, the one with Poseidon's fountain in the center. Hera knew her brother would be there. You don't exactly spend years inside your father's stomach and not get to know the siblings you spend them with. That's why she also knew, Poseidon wouldn't be easy to budge but Hera was confident in her plan. If she held Leto as bait, he would fall.

She found Poseidon sitting on his fountain, both legs in the salt water and slouched over, so his elbows touched his knees.

"What do you want?" Poseidon grunted, when he heard her footsteps approach. Hera smirked. She sat beside him, her legs dangling on the fountain side. Poseidon didn't look at her but Hera stared at him. If she could, she would just will him to make peace with Zeus.

"How can I persuade you to forgive our dear brother?" She asked sweetly. Poseidon scoffed.

"I'm not the one who should be asking forgiveness."

"That may be true, but since when does Zeus lower his head and say he's sorry? Besides, important things are at stake here." Hera meant _she_ had important things at stake. Poseidon misunderstood.

"This is not my fight." He growled. The water in the fountain swirled darkly. Hera almost grinned, she had expected a whirlpool of stubborness. But his misunderstanding opened an opportunity for her. The fates were in her favor.

"Since when is anything your fight? We both know that between you and Zeus, you're the one with common sense. We just got out of a war, and here he is diving into another one. Why do you think I came to you? He can't possibly handle this by himself; he needs us, even if he doesn't realize it." Hera replied. Poseidon turned his head towards her, eyeing her, trying to find deceit. She gave him a small smile. It was genuine. She was happy imagining her wedding. But she knew he would be skeptical. Just as she knew him, he knew her. Hera scooted over and draped an arm around his shoulders. Poseidon was stiff under her touch.

"You don't have to trust me Poseidon; you just have to trust yourself. Are you capable of letting our little brother struggle alone against a few lowly titans? What if they win, what will become of us? Surely we'll be kicked out of Olympus. If that happens, will you be able to live in peace while knowing that it was your fault? That, you could have stopped so much pain?" Hera's words floated around the air but Poseidon remained silent, his eyes once again focused on the water around his feet. The fountain water churned uneasily, splashing over the sides, getting Hera's toga wet. She stood up quickly, feeling displeased. He didn't want her to stay, but she would have the last word.

"Can you live with the guilt, brother?"She asked him. There was no response, but Hera smiled triumphantly; glad she didn't need to use her original plan. It worked, she knew. Poseidon may be stubborn but if there was one thing he disliked, it was the feeling of guilt.

* * *

Leto drifted sleepily in the bath water. Her body had taken a lot of time to heal, but most of her bruises were gone. She remained floating, waiting for the last few to disappear. She closed her eyes. Thanatos face was the first thing she saw. Her eyes snapped open. A tear ran down her wet cheek. It didn't matter if the bruises were gone; she had still cheated on her lover. She betrayed the only man she trusted her life with. It didn't matter if she had been drunk, it still happened. _No, Poseidon said nothing went that far. But the look he gave you said something else. No, he said… He didn't really say anything, and the bruises and bite marks are proof that something did happen. Were. They __were__ proof, besides I think I would know if…it happened. Either way, he touched you. He kissed you. He did things to you that Thanatos never has. You're tainted._

"Leto, is that you?"

Asteria's voice pierced through Leto's thoughts and brought her back to reality. Leto floated back to an upright position and stood on the bath's floor. Asteria was at its edge.

"Yeah." Leto said, walking over towards her sister. Asteria sighed. She undressed and eased herself into the water.

"I'm glad you're here. We can finally talk; it's early so no one should be awake but us." Asteria told her as she swam to where Leto stood_. No one, except Poseidon_, Leto swatted the thought away.

"Yeah, you have some explaining to do." Leto teased. Asteria sighed.

"I know, I know. A lot has happened since we last saw each other."

"Same here." Leto said. They smiled at each other; Leto took a deep breath and then she realized she couldn't keep it all in. She told Asteria everything, everything that was worth telling. She didn't mention Poseidon. She planned to never speak of it. She was relieved she couldn't remember. It helped with the guilt.

When she finished, Asteria was mouth agape and Leto almost laughed.

"You went to the Underworld? Are you crazy? Something could have happened!" Asteria yelled with wide eyes and an astonished face. Leto looked away from her. Guilt once again taking hold.

"Maybe I am…" She mumbled. Maybe she was crazy, maybe that's why so many crazy things have happened. Maybe it's all her fault.

Asteria caught on to Leto's tone. Her face softened.

"Hey, I don't really mean it; it's just a lot to take in. Besides, I really shouldn't get to say anything, with all that's happened to me too, well, keeps happening actually." She told Leto gently. The air eased a bit, and Asteria managed to coax Leto's curiosity.

"Where have you been through all of this?" She asked. Asteria took a minute to decide how to answer. She wasn't sure she wanted to share everything that happened to her. Especially since, she's the one who's actually been on the verge of insanity. She's the one who should be called crazy. For some reason, she couldn't bring herself to speak honestly.

"Here and there. I needed a break from Perses and strayed too far and got caught in a storm. Zeus found me and helped me out. I practically had no choice from there. He insisted I go with him. Perses doesn't know that's why I left, so could you keep it quiet while I figure that out?"

Leto nodded, she believed every word. Asteria felt horrible for a moment. It passed when three words crossed her head. _Scythe, girl, smile._ They pierced her head and Asteria had to close her eyes to hide the pain.

"So what's up with Perses? Why did you need a break?" Leto asked, splashing bath water in Asteria's face. Asteria took a step back in surprise. She composed herself quickly, pushing away the vision.

"Hey! Ah, is this salt water?" She asked as she rubbed her eyes. Leto laughed, knowing the water didn't really sting. Asteria was just being over-dramatic.

"Seriously? Since when do they use bath salts?" Asteria kept complaining. Leto laughed, a little more nervous now.

"I don't know, it was like this when I got here." She lied.

"Well, I have had enough of it!" Asteria exclaimed dramatically. She leapt out of the pool, and a laughing Leto followed. They quickly wrapped themselves in warm towels and began to head out to the changing area. Leto stopped Asteria, by grabbing on to her shoulder. The gesture was full of love and insecurity. Asteria knew there was something wrong. But she would not ask, she didn't want to talk about her own secrets.

"I've missed you." Leto said, the words brought out Asteria's smiled.

"Me too. It seems we both have things going on right now, it's great to be able to just relax together." She replied.

"Yeah." Leto agreed. They smiled at each other but it didn't last. They had both tried to force a smile while feeling guilty.

"So, what's going to happen now? We're leaving soon, right?" Leto asked her sister. Asteria quickly nodded.

"Yes, the faster we leave the better. I don't know if you've noticed. But we're not exactly welcome here." She spoke softly, worried of being overheard.

"What makes you say that?" Leto asked confused. Asteria looked away from her questioning glance.

"It wasn't all fun and games last night, Leto. I can feel it grow in the air, the distrust, the prejudice. We're titans and titans don't belong here anymore."

Leto hadn't expected that.

"What do you mean?" She asked, but Asteria was already reaching the changing rooms. Leto followed close behind.

"Hey." She called, as Asteria pulled on a blue dress that she had brought from her room.

"Hey!" Leto repeated, while pulling on the white toga Poseidon had given her. She was too focused on speaking to notice just how short it was, or the gold brooch with a triton.

"Hey!" She called, this time grabbing Asteria's wrist.

"What?" Asteria asked annoyed. Leto sighed, with pouted lips.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, determined to get an answer. But Asteria's attention was elsewhere.

"What's this?" she asked, pulling Leto's hand to her face.

"Don't change the subject." Leto said angrily, pulling her hand away. "That's just the oath band. I already told you about it."

Asteria shook her head. "No, I mean this." Taking Leto's hand again, holding it palm forward. There laid a large black key in the center. Leto gasped. For a moment she feared it was some side effect of Poseidon's pearl. But it was a key, that wasn't his symbol.

"I…I don't know…" She mumbled fearfully. Asteria worried, she wondered if her worries would ever cease.

"Aren't keys Hades' symbol?" She asked. Leto frowned.

"I'm not sure, wasn't it Cerberus?" Leto asked. Neither spent enough time with the gods to be sure. They stared at the key. A large black key. _What does it mean?_, Leto thought.

The key flashed a dark light three times and then vanished. Leto's palm burned slightly and her body suddenly felt tired. It didn't make sense, the pearl had healed her. But now she felt pain in her back and it felt harder to breathe. Her skin itched and burned, like she was covered with invisible scabs. She didn't tell Asteria.

"That's strange, maybe you should talk to Thanatos; if a key means Hades, he would know." Asteria said. Leto nodded, agreeing that was the best option.

"Then we should leave." Leto said, forgetting about the argument. The key did something to her, she was sure of it. She had to see Thanatos, even if it meant facing her guilt and shame.

Asteria closed her eyes. Pain surging through her head the longer she stared at the key. _Death, death, death, death, death…_

"Are you ok?" Leto asked. Asteria nodded quickly and smiled but the words were still in the back of her head.

"Yeah, we should leave. Let's go find Miss Rainbow, and get out of this mountain." She grunted. Leto nodded. Now both fully dressed they headed out for the main hall. Determined to leave and never return.

* * *

Zeus paced inside his bedroom, his mind pondering two options. Peace or war. His eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes were still in a piercing blue gaze. Inside Olympus his aura went unnoticed but outside its golden gates, a storm brewed. He stopped pacing and stomped over to the rack of decorative weapons. He eyed them, a line of useless tritons, swords, spears, lances… nothing he actually liked to wield. All merely symbols of those who have sworn fealty to him. The tritons stood out, their metal more bright then the others. A pang of anger and hurt passed through him. He had wronged Poseidon, he knew. Yet he would never admit it; a king is always right. A king doesn't bow.

A knock came from his door. Zeus' scowl deepened. He was in no mood for visitors.

"Go away." He warned, letting his anger slip the tiniest bit, to let whoever was on the other side know he was not to be disturbed. He eyed the door, daring the person to knock again. He wanted a challenge. He needed one. Maybe he should just face Pallas and Astraeus. He could end them and get rid of his building rage at the same time. Two birds with one stone.

"Zeus?" Asteria's voice rang like a bell, from outside the door. It wasn't a dare. It was a question. She was seeking his presence. He couldn't believe it. Zeus' anger dissipated in a flash, he opened the door in less than a second, eager to see her. He hadn't imagined it. There she was, with her bright skin, blue eyes and long golden hair. Zeus smiled.

"This is unexpected." He said happily. Asteria's worried face softened.

"Yes, I guess it's rather early, though for me it would be late." She replied. Zeus' opened the door further but Asteria made no sign of wanting to enter the room.

"Late? You consider seven o'clock late?" Zeus chuckled.

"Star goddess, remember? I'm usually knocked out at this hour, but I guess nothing normal has happened lately." Asteria said jokingly. Zeus grinned at her, his eyes searching for something. She was his escape. If they were to be together, all of his current problems would vanish, not to mention he would be in great company. He liked Asteria. She was different.

"Well, what made you come by at this incredibly late hour?" He asked; his deep voice teasing. It made Asteria roll her eyes.

"Leto and I have decided it's about time we head our way." Asteria said.

"Meaning?" Zeus asked, already not liking where the conversation was heading.

"Meaning we should be heading back home, to Kos, you know that little island you visited not so long ago."

Zeus' smile faded, like a foggy glass suddenly becoming clear. He realized. He didn't want Asteria to leave. He needed her. He felt comfortable around her, already his anger laid forgotten. She was the only one to have such an effect on him. Even when she's screaming at him. With just one suggestion, she had him agitated. _She can't leave…she can't, she can't, she's supposed to be yours, she has to stay, you don't want to marry Hera…don't let her go._

"No! You can't go yet!" He said before thinking. Asteria took a step back in surprise. Her easy smile gone.

"I'm not asking permission." She said.

"But you can't!" Zeus growled. He grasped Asteria by the wrist and pulled her towards him. Asteria pulled away, her skin growing warm and bright orange in an instant.

"What are you doing?" She shouted. Zeus halted, not sure what he was doing. He needed to think. Acting on his impulses is why he keeps getting into messes. _Think Zeus, what in Tartarus was that? What were you thinking? You need to pull yourself together. Since when does violence get you anywhere good? Never. Let go of her. Don't you see her face? She's disgusted. She hates you now. Let go of her and think how to fix this. Think how to stop her. She can't leave, she's the solution. Think, Zeus, think of a way out of this mess. Think of a way out without having to use her. She doesn't deserve it. Look at her face, look at her skin; she's angry, angrier than you. Think. What are you going to do? Think, don't just stand there. You have to think. Think of something. Be useful for once. Think, Poseidon always thinks. Why can't you think like him? Think, Zeus, think, aren't you smart? Think. You're a King aren't you? Then think already. Think. Do something, think, think. Think!_

Zeus let go of her hand and his arms slacked to his sides. He felt a sharp pain crawl from his stomach to his head. It made him nauseous and uncomfortable but mostly, it pained him. He gasped from the throbbing it caused in his head. Asteria's anger was put out by the face he made. It was too a familiar face. It was the same face she saw in the mirror. It was the face she made when the visions began to take their toll. Zeus gasped again, covering his temples with his hands. Asteria reacted.

"Zeus! What is it? What's happening?" Asteria shouted. Her voice carried off into the air, someone might just wake up from the sound of it. Asteria hoped someone did. She tried to help Zeus stand, as he was slumping towards the wall. But once she got close, Zeus gasped once more before collapsing on top of her. Asteria tried to hold him but she quickly found herself slumping towards the wall herself. She struggled to keep him up and herself too. But it was pointless.

She shrieked, as they fell to the floor. She fell right on her bottom and Zeus toppled on top of her like a bag of potatoes. Asteria was pinned under his body, a mass of tanned muscle. She tried moving him to the side, but he was too heavy; he never looked it though. Asteria looked around hoping someone might find them. Her eyes scanned the hallway, she could almost make out a figure at the end of the hall.

"Help!" She called out desperately. The figure must have heard her because it began to quickly make its way towards them. She sighed from relief, but her legs were getting numb and her head also began to hurt.

_SMILESMILESMLISMLIESCYTHESCT HESCTHEGIRLGIRLGIRLSPEARGIRL SPEARSMILEHEADGIRL! _The vision felt as if her head had been chopped off and set beside a noisy bird. She wanted to rub her temples but her hands were under Zeus' limp body.

The figure finally came to view and it turned out to be two people. Two men. One Asteria was happy to see and the other not so much. There stood Poseidon with wide eyes before her, but Asteria could care less. Beside him, stood a tall young man, with yellow dog eyes and wild dog ears on his head.

"Perses!" Asteria shouted from the excitement. The pain in her head and gibberish doubled.S_MILESMILESMILESMILENOWNOWNOW NOWNOWSCYTHESCYTHESCYTHESCYT HHEADHEADHEADHEADHEADSMILESM ILESMILEGIRLGIRLGIRLGIRLNOWN OW!_

Asteria groaned from the pain. In a moment Poseidon picked up Zeus and she was relieved of that burden. But the one in her head remained.

_SCYTHENOWSPEARSPEARSPEARGIRL GIRLNOWNOWNOWNOWSCYTHSCTHESC YTHESCYTHESMILESMILESMILESMI LEHEADHEADHEADHEADNOWNOWNOWN OW!_

"Make it stop." She cried, covering her face with her hand and pulling her hair with the other. Perses wasted no time in picking her up into his arms. Asteria clung to him. He was her lifesaver. Her rock. She tried to speak but her voice cracked.

_SMILESMILESMILESMILESMILESMI LESMILESMILENOWNOWNOWNOWNOWN OWSCYTHESCYTHESCYTHESCYTHESC YTHESCYTHESCYTHESCYTHESCYTHE SCYTHE!_

Asteria groaned again, and along with her Zeus.

"What's wrong with them?" Poseidon asked out loud. He carried a knocked out Zeus on his back. Perses turned towards him, his eyes not leaving his beloved.

"I'm not sure, Asteria could be having a vision, but she doesn't look like it." He told Poseidon.

"Then let's get them to the healing room."

Poseidon led them through the web of halls. The closer they got to their destination the more Asteria and Zeus seemed to be pained. Their groans eventually became whimpers and the tension in the air didn't cease to grow along with them. Perses' dog ears twitched nervously and Asteria's whimpers only augmented his own agitation. Poseidon's face was expressionless. He hid every confusing emotion behind his sea green eyes. Their pace quickened and finally they arrived at the correct wing.

The healing room was a large open area with sick beds and tables full of healing herbs and nectar and ambrosia. Poseidon laid Zeus on a bed, but Perses refused to let go of Asteria.

"Where are the healers?" Perses asked. Poseidon headed to one of the tables.

"There are none."

"What? This place is useless then." Perses growled. Poseidon sighed, he expected that reaction.

"No one gets sick in Olympus, the nectar and ambrosia prevent that." Poseidon replied, taking a flask of nectar.

"Then why have a healer's room at all?" Perses inquired. His grip on Asteria tightened protectively.

"Zeus' idea, he said he was told Olympus might need it one day."

"Who said that? It sounds like my aunt Phoebe."

"Maybe it was." Poseidon suggested. He walked over Zeus and force fed him some nectar. He then approached Perses.

"No. She's not drinking from that. It might just make it worse." Perses protested. Poseidon scowled.

"What are you talking about?"

"What if she's not sick, then the nectar would only numb her. We have to wait." Perses insisted. He went to a bed and laid Asteria down, as gently as possible. He sat beside her, determine to never leave her side. Poseidon frowned, but knew better than to insist. He planned to keep Perses on his side. They waited in silence to see if something happened. Their silence didn't last. Through the doors burst Hera, Demeter and Hestia. Behind them came a dozen other deities and nymphs.

"What's going on?" Demeter asked worriedly. Hestia ran to Poseidon's side and hugged his leg.

"What happened? What did you do?" Hera shouted as she went to Zeus' side and held his hand. The room began to fill with a confused commotion.

"What's wrong with Zeus?"

"Is it her fault? Is it the titan's fault?"

"Poseidon, explain!"

"What's going on?"

The shouts grew louder and louder as the group demanded answers. Poseidon eyed everyone. _How did they know we were here?_ He wondered. The shouts got worse and now Poseidon couldn't tell if the nectar had done any effect on Zeus; couldn't hear if he was in pain. He looked over at Perses and saw that now he also had a dog's tail. If he waited any longer, Perses would complete his transformation. He would explode. _Time to act._

Poseidon held out his hand, where a golden ring with a large sapphire laid, and in a moment his triton was there. He took it with both hands and he thumped it on the ground. The sound that came from the metal of his weapon hitting the golden floor was ear splitting. It brought the room to silence.

"I cannot answer your questions now, for I have not the answer. Leave and let us deal with the problem peacefully." Poseidon spoke with dignity and power. A few of the deities mumbled protests, but before he quieted them, Asteria sat up. She went up like a bolt of lightning and her hair turned sliver and her eyes gold.

"Scythe, reaper of crops, take hold! Smiles will come from your merciful strike. Break open the head that rules all, let wisdom come to life!" She exclaimed. She trembled as she spoke and Perses tried to make her lie down once more. Her words pierced everyone's head. The commotion grew.

Poseidon looked around, trying to figure out what to do. Demeter had joined Zeus, by sitting on the other side of the bed. Poseidon looked down and finally noticed Hestia was still clinging to him. The room began to shout and Poseidon was prepared to silence it again, that's when Zeus woke. He screamed, as he sat up.

"What's wrong?" Hera and Demeter squealed. But Zeus simply clutched his head.

"It hurts, it hurts, it won't stop."He whimpered. Hera tried to clam him but he kept swatting her hands away. Demeter looked at Poseidon for help. Poseidon frowned, the group kept acting restless. He looked over at Perses.

"What was that?" He mouthed over the sound of angry and confused shouts. Perses shrugged, as he cradled Asteria in his arms. She kept whispering something. Hestia still clung to his leg. The room was on the verge of hysteria. That's when Poseidon snapped.

"Silence!" He shouted, he took his triton and scratched the golden floor with the pointed ends. The shrill sound ripped at everyone's ears, like shrieking crows singing at dawn. Silence.

Poseidon eyes dared anyone to speak, no one did. Hera wept by Zeus side, and Demeter kept staring over to where Asteria laid. Poseidon looked down at Hestia and picked her up. She hugged him, not wanting to look at anything. Demeter gasped.

"What?" Poseidon asked. Demeter looked from Asteria to Zeus and sweat crept her brow. She clutched her enlarged stomach and took a deep breath. Suddenly a few nymphs approached her, believing she might be feeling birth pains. She pushed them away, assuring them all was fine. She looked at Poseidon, her eyes determined.

"I know what to do." She said. Poseidon raised an eyebrow but Demeter no longer paid him attention. She reached into her dress' pocket, and brought out a handful of seeds. She threw them on the floor and with a puff of smoke, a scythe appeared. She now had everyone's attention. She grabbed the scythe and though she was pregnant, her grip was firm. She heaved and with one swing, she brought the scythe's end on to Zeus' head. Hera shrieked in surprise. The room held its breath in surprise.

"What are you doing?" Hera shouted like a rabid dog. The air was chotic, people began to scream and shout, men armed themselves ready to battle. Poseidon no longer knew what to do. He didn't have to do anything. Zeus stood up. Everyone watched him. Then light poured out of the crack from Zeus' skull. Gasps were heard all around, replacing the angry air with one of awe. Light poured and played around from his golden locks. It grew brighter and brighter until a figure sprang forth from it.

A young girl fully armed and wielding a spear and shield, ready for battle. She wore a helmet with a large blue plume and golden sandals that laced around her legs up to her knees. Her eyes were large and a bright sky blue, she had chocolate brown curls that reached her waist. She eyed everyone with a gaze full of power and intellect. When she was sure there was no threat, she lowered her shield and spear. Turning around she faced Zeus. He was watching her, with the same awe. Hera clung to his arm. Demeter stood to his side, still holding the scythe. The girl kneeled in front of him.

"I'm Athena, daughter of Zeus. Nice to meet you father."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Voila~ Here it is, enjoy it everyone! With each chapter we're getting closer to the end of this story, it's bitter-sweet really...**

**Peace out!**

* * *

"I'm Athena, daughter of Zeus. Nice to meet you father."

Gasps erupted and bounced around the room. Suddenly the frivolous healing room Zeus had ordered made wasn't insignificant. It was historical. The birth place of a daughter of Zeus. His daughter… solely his. Zeus eyes watered with joy, as he gazed upon Athena's face. She had his blue eyes. The exact same hue. She was his. Zeus gently pulled her up from her kneeling position. He treated her like one would a new born, even though she was physically a young woman already. Not just physically, her eyes too. Their gaze was far older than her years. It was a gaze of infinite wisdom. And Zeus loved her all the more for it. He needed more wisdom in his life and what better gift than a daughter?

_Athena…my daughter, mine, my own._ Zeus laughed as he touched her face, making sure she was real. The room was silent, as every pair of eyes watched the loving scene unfold. Athena smiled at his gesture, letting herself soak in the love from her father's gaze. Zeus suddenly embraced her, he squeezed her hard and then he turned her around to face the on looking crowd.

"Behold, a daughter of Zeus has been born! Tonight we feast!" He exclaimed. The silence morphed into cheers and shouts of joy. Poseidon was the first to approach them, his triton now sheathed inside his ring. He clapped Zeus on the back and was received with a wide smile. Athena grinned at the exchange, unaware of their feud. Now at the sight of new life it lay forgotten by both. Zeus raised a brow and Poseidon understood. Together they picked up Athena and held her over their shoulders. Now everyone could see her proud face. The room went wild. Nymphs began to dance around them, manifesting flower petals and throwing them around them. Zeus and Poseidon began to walk out of the room, carrying her like a queen. The crowd followed and the noise of celebration left with them. Soon the room was empty except for Asteria and Perses.

"What happened?" Perses asked, meaning what had happened to Asteria before the birth of Athena. It took her a moment to reply, her mind still whirled from the fuzziness of the vision. Once it settled, she was astonished, now finally understanding the meaning behind all those words.

"My vision…" She began to say. Perses remained silent, encouraging her to go on.

"It came true. It was a vision of her birth, Perses. It was always about that." She whispered. She closed her eyes, putting the pieces of the puzzle together. The smile was Zeus, the girl, Athena; the scythe had been Demeter… that left one word. Death. What was death? Was it part of the vision? Or something else?

Asteria sighed; she was too tired to think about that. She pushed the worry aside and let herself feel at home with Perses. He was there for her. They held each other, neither daring to let go. Asteria curled her hand around Perses hair and he did the same.

"I thought I lost you." He whispered. His voice was soft and yet Asteria could feel the raw emotion. Guilt hit her in a flash. She felt horrible for having left his side, not one moment had she felt safe or at ease since then. Not even when she tried to fool herself by going with Zeus. She'd be lying to herself if she said she had felt truly happy.

"I'm sorry." She said. She buried her face further into his chest. Perses took a deep breath, letting her presence calm him.

"I'm sorry…" She repeated, trying to make up for her foolishness. Perses' hug tightened.

"I'm just glad you're here in my arms." Perses said. He wasn't angry like she had expected. It felt like he was the calm eye in the middle of the storm. She realized that it was the aspect of him, only she got to see. Asteria's kissed his shoulder. She felt relieved, loved, and guilty all at once. But none of it mattered, because Perses was there. He was there for her.

"I'm never leaving your side again." Her voice cracked and Perses smirked.

"As if I'll ever let you." He said. Asteria grinned. Loving how he made her feel better by the second. They let go of each other but remained holding hands.

"How did you get here?" She asked, finally calm enough to wonder.

"Let's just say that if Mr. Sea-Breeze hadn't shown up, half of Crete would have been gone. Speaking of which-" Perses sniffed her hair. "You smell like him."

Asteria frowned. "Don't remind me, someone poured bath salts in the public bath and now I stink of the rotten stuff. But maybe Mr. Poh isn't half bad, if he stopped you, that is."

"Stopped me? No, that was all you. He simply told me I could go see you." Perses chuckled.

"And why did you call him Poh?" He asked, a smile creeping up his face. Asteria's grin widened mischievously.

"That's what Hestia calls him. Apparently he doesn't let anyone else call him that." Asteria said. Perses burst laughing.

"I bet that didn't stop you."

Asteria smiled. "His face went sour when I called him that; it was hard not to laugh at his face."

They laughed together. Asteria would continue to tell him odd things the Olympians did and Perses would laugh even harder. A feeling of calm came over them. Easy laughter followed by easy words. They could tell each other anything and they did. She told him about using Zeus as a distraction from the visions. Perses didn't bat and eyelash. He was more bothered by the fact that Asteria had never danced with him, than Zeus' advances. He took the chance and told her about his rampage, and dragging Leto along. He spoke as if it was an everyday thing, and Asteria knew it was. She knew he'd react that way to her disappearance and she had a feeling her sister might be dragged into it. That's why she kept trying to apologize. But Perses just shrugged it off. All he cared about was her. Nothing else mattered, because in the end she was by his side. After what felt like second they decided to leave. As they headed to the door Asteria hugged his waist and Perses didn't hesitate to do the same. But before they made it halfway through the room, Perses stopped. The way he held her felt right and he suddenly realized, he didn't want to have to search for her the way he had. He wanted her like this, forever. He looked down at her and Asteria gave him an inquiring smile.

"I meant what I said about not letting you leave my side." He said. His tone was serious but also testing the waters.

"I know you did." Her smile was reassuring but Perses wasn't satisfied. He needed this to be clear.

"No, I mean… I want you by my side, forever." His eyes were dead serious. Asteria felt her cheeks burn.

"Stop beating around the bush, what are you saying?" She said embarrassed. Perses kept a straight face.

"What I'm saying is I love you, and I want you by my side, always."

"I love you too, but I what are you-" Perses let out an exasperated breath. He grabbed her by the shoulders making her face him. Gently his hands cupped her face, his touch gentle. Asteria closed her eyes, already expecting the kiss. Their lips were barely apart when Perses whispered:

"Marry me…" He didn't kiss her. His words weren't a question or a command. It was a plea. His lips waited in the air for her response. Asteria opened her eyes; she knew that one day he would ask this. She was surprised it was so soon. But she was more surprised to feel relief. She was relieved to hear that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. She was happy he had asked. Her answer was barely audible.

"Yes…" Not even a second passed before Perses kissed her. They kissed and all was right. Everything made sense. It was as if the world had been waiting for this moment and now it too sighed in content. They kissed, and all thoughts of leaving the room vanished. Perses picked her up. Her arms and legs wrapped around him. He held her close and his lips slowly ventured away from her mouth. Kissing skin that had previously been untouched. He laid her on one of the beds, easily towering over her. He felt his instincts take hold. He kissed her but now with a different passion. It was a yearning he had been holding back. Asteria gasped when their lips parted once more.

They had kissed but suddenly it no longer was enough. The answer had changed everything. Perses looked down at Asteria; one hand had made its way under her dress and held her bare back, another held her leg. Perses pulled her closer to him, his body pressing her down on the bed. He didn't need to speak to ask the question. It was clear as day. He stared at her pink cheeks, and her parted lips. Her breathing had quickened much like his. His yellow eyes inquired: Yes or no? Asteria stared at him with the same intensity. Everything was sharper. Perses strong yet gentle touch, his warm lips and his smell. It was always hard to describe. Something along the lines of a burning house. She felt like she was in a burning house. The rational part of her thought desperately for the right response. No. There wasn't anything to think about. What they were doing felt good. It felt natural. Her very being was telling her that this was right. This was supposed to happen. She wanted it to happen. She kissed him, knowing that was more than a yes. Perses kissed her back, letting go of the last bits of restraint. Finally able to show how much he loved her. They kissed, and soon they would be one.

* * *

Leto stumbled among the crowd. She had waited in Asteria's room as she had promised. Asteria had said she would set everything so they could leave; but she was taking too long. The room quickly felt like a prison and she left it as soon as she heard the commotion. She thought she might find Asteria there so, she followed the sound of cheers. It led her all the way to the throne room and now it was hard to walk without getting shoved or fist full of flowers in her face. Usually it was easy for her to weave through a crowd unseen. But since the appearance of the key she didn't feel like herself. Everything felt harder to do.

Nymphs were everywhere and Leto was tempted to join the dancing but she had questions that needed answers. She wanted to know what was going on but the crowd was so unruly all she received was annoyed glares when she tried to speak or made her way through. She heard shouts that gave her an idea of what was happening.

"All hail Zeus!"

"Long live his rule!"

"His sons and daughters blessed are!"

And most of all she heard: "Bless be Athena!" That was what kept her confused. Who's Athena? Leto pondered the question as she dodged another blast of flower petals. The crowd had finally opened room. She took another step stepping aside from a dancing nymph and crashed into someone.

"Sorry!" She quickly said. She looked up to see who it was and immediately frowned. The last person she wanted to see and she just had to crash into him.

"Wow, are you that disappointed to see me?" Poseidon chuckled. He held a goblet full of nectar and held his hand out. Another one appeared and he offered it to Leto. _Oh, there's no way I'm drinking that again…_

"Trying to get me drunk?" Her sarcastic tone made Poseidon choke on his drink. He laughed.

"Hardly, once is enough. We're celebrating and I'm just being courteous." He said, offering the goblet again. Leto eyed him. _Did he just say he got me drunk on purpose? _

"Athena!" The crowd roared again. Leto batted away her suspicions and looked behind her. She had reached the end of the crowd and now could see the spectacle in the center of the throne room. Zeus sat on his throne with a wide smile as he watched probably every nymph in Olympus dance and throw flowers around a young girl in the center. She was armed and her eyes were like daggers. But she had an easy smile, very much like the King of the Gods. The nymphs had crowned her with floral wreaths.

"Who's that?" Leto asked Poseidon and ignoring the offer of nectar. Poseidon handed the goblet off to someone else and stood next to her.

"That's Athena, daughter of Zeus."

"I've never heard of her." Leto said confused. Poseidon laughed.

"Of course not, she was just born today. Where have you been? Locked yourself in a room?"

Leto scowled. "I've been avoiding you."

She looked at Athena again and felt a wave of happiness. A new life had been born. Leto smiled at the thought. Athena, the name fit her_. Athena, daughter of Zeus and…Demeter?_ Was it her? She was the only goddess that Leto knew awaited his child. She looked around the throne for her but Zeus was alone.

"Where's Demeter?"

"Why do you ask?" Poseidon inquired.

"She's not with Zeus." Leto said. Poseidon raised an eyebrow.

"Your point?"

Leto sighed, and began to search for Asteria again, but she was no where in sight. Maybe someone else could help her. She wasn't going to be begging Poseidon for answers when it was clear she was the only one in the room that didn't know what was happening. She scratched her arm, not paying it much attention. The dancing and singing took her mind off her back which had only gotten worse. The pearl's properties hadn't lasted long. That was the other reason for leaving the room. It left her too much time alone wondering about the key and why her body was acting strange. She had to find Thanatos and before that, she had to leave Olympus. But with the current festivities she wondered if she would be able to. She kept looking around for someone she knew would help her out. She spotted Iris at the other end of the room but before she could leave, Poseidon held her shoulder. Leto stiffened his touch was too familiar.

"Hey, stop ignoring me and I'll tell you what you missed out on." He said. Leto bit down her lip. _Patience…_

"Well go on." She said, hoping he would let go of her. He did.

"If you're asking about Demeter because you think she's Athena's mother, then stop, because my sister's is still happily pregnant." He took a swing of nectar at the end of the sentence. Leto's confusion amounted.

"Then who?"

"No one. She's a daughter of Zeus and no one else. Sprang right out of his thick skull."

"Oh." Leto' surprise was evident and Poseidon laughed at the face she made.

"If you lived around here, I assure you such things become normal." He said.

"Oh I believe that." Leto snorted. She watched the nymphs danced and the urge to join them came again but her body felt heavy. She knew that joining the dance would tire her quickly. Leto scratched her hand and peeked to see if the key had reappeared. She stifled a gasp when she saw her palm had turned pitch black. She quickly closed it not wanting to draw attention. She had to leave, whatever the key was doing to her, it was getting worse. She glanced to where Iris had been but she was no longer there.

"Still ignoring me?" Poseidon asked and Leto almost snapped. Why didn't he leave her alone? She took a deep breath.

"Why do you care?" She asked. Again his eyes were like a mystery, she couldn't tell if he was hurt, angry or indifferent. Poseidon sighed. Leto felt like sighing too. Her patience was waning thin with him.

"If you want to talk to me, why not help me find Iris?" Leto said, feeling she was running low on options. She was already speaking with Poseidon might as well put it to use. Poseidon looked down at his nectar, as if weighing his options. Leto was tempted to take the goblet and throw it away. Why was he so difficult?

"Why are you looking for Iris?" He asked letting the goblet disappear.

"Why can't you just help me?" Leto finally asked, letting her anger out. No one paid their exchange any attention. All eyes were on Athena. Poseidon smirked.

"I didn't know you wanted it so badly." He said. Leto glared at him. _Fates, give me patience…_

"Calm down, I'll help you. Come on, follow me." He took her hand but Leto pulled it away. Poseidon sighed again.

"We're in the middle of a crowd of half-drunk gods and crazed flower throwing nymphs. Unless you want to get lost, I suggest you take my hand." Poseidon said no more. Leto reluctantly took his hand; there was no way she could get lost but maybe being with him would help with the shoving. It did…Poseidon's grip was tight. He pulled her along and everyone that saw him gave him space. No shoves, no complains, no flower throwing. Leto wondered how it would be if she had been led by Zeus. The crowd would probably kneel and follow them like a procession. She shuddered at the thought. They passed by many faces, only a few she recognized. Then Leto saw Iris, she was floating in the air in the arms of a man.

"Hey there she is!" Leto told Poseidon. He looked over but kept pulling Leto along.

"Hey!" Leto protested.

"She's with Zephyrus, her husband. Once she's with him there's no point in even trying to talk to her. Besides she hardly gets to see him, you should be more considerate." Poseidon said.

"Then where are you taking me?" Leto shouted over the cheers of the crowd, something must have happened to make them start again, but Leto had no time to think of that.

"Trust me!" Poseidon called back. Leto frowned. Trust was the last thing she was going to give him.

* * *

Hades sat on his white throne. His golden crown proudly adorning his silver head. He sat up straight, holding a large scepter made of pure onyx with his left hand. The white room buzzed with energy. His ghost servants hovered up in the ceiling watching below. Spectators of the show. Hades frowned; he was not pleased by what he had just heard.

"Care to repeat that, _general_?" He hissed.

Thanatos looked up from the floor. He was kneeling on one leg. "Please, my lord…" His red eyes held fear; he knew he was on the verge of breaking one of his vows. Hades cocked his head to the side waiting for him to continue. Thanatos' body shook. It took him a great deal of concentration to speak. The oath he had take, burned inside his head, reminding him. _I swear to never betray you, my lord_. Thanatos' blinked rapidly. _That's not what you're doing. You're simply asking for help._ He told himself. Finally the burning sensation resided enough to let him speak once more.

"You must release Leto from the curse, I beg of you…" He croaked. He immediately regretted the words he chose. Hades scoffed.

"Beg? It sounds more like a command frankly. If you're going to beg, I think you should take a proper stance." Hades pointed his scepter at Thanatos and two ghosts clad in armor manifested at his side. They wasted no time and took hold of Thanatos. His arms were twisted and he was forced to prostrate before Hades. One of the ghosts pressed his foot over Thanatos head. Hades smirked when he heard the small groan.

"Now that's better. Please by all means, continue." Hades said. There was a moment of silence.

Hades raised an eyebrow.

"_I said continue_." His voice held a low hum. Thanatos cried out in pain as soon as he heard it. One of his golden bands began to burn, glowing a bright red. _I swear to obey, my lord. _Another oath seethed inside Thanatos brain. His voice was horse as he began to speak against his will.

"The curse won't work the way you want it. She'll suffer more than just death! Please!"

"Really now, I feel like you're making things up. Won't work? Please my curses always work. And of course she'll die. That's the whole point. Everything would have been simpler if she just ate something, anything would have done it, really. I went through all that trouble and she didn't even drink a sip! Oh and it was infuriating how she would say your name. She said it so lovingly; I could puke just by remembering." Hades' rambling was interrupted by a groan from Thanatos.

"Sorry, was I rambling again?" Hades looked down to see if Thanatos was paying attention. He was breathing rapidly, fighting a war in his head. Hades sighed.

"It's a shame, I mean why you? You're a great general and all, but really. I can't fathom what she sees in you. Frankly speaking, you can be very boring." Thanatos let out a loud gasp, interrupting Hades once more.

"You don't understand! She won't go through the natural process of the curse! Once she dies and takes her first steps in here, Styx will consume her!" He shouted as if his life depended on it.

Hades rose, his nonchalant demeanor quickly leaving.

"Styx? What do you mean? What have you done?" Hades accused.

"He has done nothing." Hades eyes widened recognizing the voice. Her voice was something he could never forget.

At the entrance of the throne room, a woman stood. Her dark hair reached her ankles and her skin was a bright red.

"Styx… how rare of you to visit." Hades said. His grip on his scepter tightened. The woman walked over towards the throne.

"I'd come more often if you weren't such a bore. At least in Olympus they celebrate every damn little thing. When was the last time you've ever invited people here? Although I'd understand why you don't. No need to show others how pitiful you live." Her voice was like a dagger that went through a rib. Smooth and painful.

The room darkened with Hades' mood.

"But enough of small talk. You should really listen to your general. That girl was stupid enough to swear on my name, and guess what she swore?" Styx paused for dramatic effect. Hades glared at her. Styx sighed as if to say, why do I bother?

"Oh see, your no fun! The girl swore to never come back to the underworld. Now, if you were civilized you'd release your oh so loyal general, who has only tried to protect what's his. Shame on you Hades, trying to steal little innocent Leto away." Styx said, she giggled when she how quiet Hades had become. He looked down at his feet and slowly raised his scepter. The ghost warriors vanished. Thanatos rose slowly, clutching his head. He no longer shook from pain and now could sense the tense air.

"Leave." Hades hissed. He sat back on his throne and looked straight ahead, ignoring them.

"Wow, did it hurt that much? It must be hard to hear she'd rather swear by my name than to return to your side. But then again, who would want to stay by your side willingly." Styx said. Hades closed his eyes. The room began to tremble.

"LEAVE!" Hades bellowed. He stomped his scepter on the granite floor. The ghosts disappeared and the floor around Styx and Thanatos cracked. It shot up, taking both of them higher and higher. It crashed through the ceiling and didn't stop until they were almost out of the underworld. When the fog came over them, that divided that world of the living with the dead, Thanatos and Styx changed form. Thanatos back to his earthly appearance and Styx's hair and skin turned into a bright blue. The ground shot them into the night sky and they crash-landed in the middle a river. Thanatos tumbled to the river's depths, it seemed endless. He felt like he was flying, no, floating. The river pulsed and a sudden force pushed him upwards. He could see the moonlight above his head. That's when he recovered his bearing and began to swim to the surface. His head popped out of the water and he let out his breath. He looked around. The air was heavy with dread. Red glazed his eyes and Thanatos felt a weight over his shoulders.

"Well that was fun." Styx said brightly. She sat on a rock on the river bank. Thanatos opened his mouth in disbelief. She had angered Hades and gotten them thrown out of the Underworld and all she had to say was 'that was fun'? He realized she wouldn't have to go back, but he would. Thanatos would have to deal with Hades' wrath.

"Fun? Are you out of your mind? Do you have any idea what you just did?" He yelled.

"Don't take your anger out on me! I helped you!" Styx protested.

"Helped me? You just made everything worse." Thanatos grumbled. He swam over to the river's edge and heaved himself on to the bank. Immediately his mist surrounded him. Styx giggled.

"A little appreciation would be nice. No need to be angry, though it's a nice change, I must admit. You're always so… indifferent."

Thanatos ignored her. He was still shocked from the encounter with Hades. Never had he'd been so close to breaking the oaths of fealty he had taken. The sensation had been like hot iron being pressed inside his head. But now, his mind was consumed with different thoughts. All concerning one dark haired and purple eyed girl. His wings appeared at the thought, and he was getting ready to leave when Styx stopped him.

"Wait, don't you want to know why I helped?" She said. Thanatos looked over to her. he knew she didn't help people without a reason or a catch.

"I never asked for you help, so I don't owe you anything." He stated, determined to leave. Styx frowned.

"Fine, I understand you don't care about why I helped, but then… I guess I also won't tell you how to break that girl's stupid oath, or explain your new invincibility." She said nonchalantly. That caught his attention.

"What?" He asked. Styx grinned, like she had caught a fish.

"Well, where do I start? Ah yes, you know the only reason I went to save your sorry ass was because of your mother."

"My mother asked for your help?" Thanatos seriously doubted she would ask anyone for a favor.

"Ask? More like ordered me. At first I was so amazed she came to me, felt almost honored and then she went and basically blackmailed. I was furious but you can't exactly say no. And then when I found out the whole problem was because of that oath, I was furious. I mean that really was a stupid oath. Who swears to never go to the Underworld? Especially if your immortal. Talk about not planning ahead. Also, she wasted my name on something so boring, if you're going to commit to something make sure it's ear-catching like-"

"Can you skip ahead to the part that I actually care about?" Thanatos interrupted. Styx had been brushing her hair with her fingers but at hearing his words she stopped. Standing up, she quickly went to face Thanatos.

"You really are different, I wonder if it's that girl or my river?" she said, eyeing him like he was an old artifact.

"What does anything have to do with your river?" Thanatos asked confused. Styx sighed.

"Right, I forget that everyone only mention the one full of hatred and all that crap. Look, technically I have one river, named after myself-"

"I know that, all rivers are named after their nymphs." Thanatos sighed. He was loosing his patience. Styx took a deep breath, also fed up with him.

"If you would just listen, I take back what I said, I think emotionless you was far more nice. As I was saying, since you apparently have connected the dots—"

"Connected the what?"

"Ugh, that's an inside joke. Look the point is that up here on mortal ground, my river has different properties. That's why you didn't burn to death or went insane. It does the opposite apparently." Styx said. She searched for a sign that her words had sunk in but found Thanatos eyes distant. He was thinking about other things.

"Hey!" Styx waved a hand in front of him and Thanatos snapped back to reality. He looked curiously at Styx.

Thanatos raised an eyebrow. His mind had kept asking questions. He had thought of his mother. Would she get in his way of helping Leto? Or would she help? And Eris? She had said she wouldn't interfere anymore but he never believed that. No, he should concentrate on what he could do at the moment. He should concentrate on finding Leto. Time was running and he wasn't used to having a dead line.

"Are you listening to me?" She yelled.

"What?" Thanatos asked. Styx sighed.

"Can't believe it, here I was trying to help and you weren't even paying attention."

"Sorry, I have a lot on my mind, and I'm in a hurry. So if you have something to say-" It was styx turn to interrupt.

"Oh no, I said everything. If you didn't pay attention that's your problem." She said, heading back to her rock. Thanatos frowned. He didn't have time to be dealing with Styx personality.

"You said she could break the oath, how? Wasn't it impossible?" He asked. Styx smirked.

"It is. Anyone who willingly break an oath sworn on my name get punishment." She said.

"But, why would you even suggest that then?" Styx didn't answer him. She leaped into the river and disappeared. Thanatos cursed. He shook his head, trying to concentrate on what he had to do. The weight on his shoulders grew. Someone important or some ones were dying. He flew up into the night sky, hoping it wasn't who he thought it was.


	16. Chapter 16

They held hands as they made their way through Olympus' halls. The noise of celebration beckoning them forward. They breathed in unison and every now and then they'd steal a glance at each other. Sometimes a smile or a kiss. They were one.

"The headaches are gone, right? I don't want you fainting in the middle of the feast." Perses said. Asteria rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry I'm fine." She assured him. She smiled, loving the way he worried, loving how protective he was. "Besides, after...well, you know, I feel like I can do anything!" She had never felt so energized, so whole. Almost like the buzzy feel after getting drunk on nectar, but better. Infinitely better.

"Oh really? It's good to know that I can do more than blow things up." Perses chuckled. Asteria didn't mind the blush that crept up on her cheeks. She looked at him as they walked; his gaze level but she knew how aware of her he was. She slid her hand around his waist and Perses automatically did the same.

"I'm pretty sure you can do much more than that." She whispered. It was Perses turn to blush. They continued in silence. Both dazed and red. The music began to grow louder, their steps nearing its source. Then after a turn it was accompanied by muffled cheers. Only after they passed through the throne room doors were they facing a mass of dancing deities and nymphs. The smell of nectar and wildflowers filled the air. The crowd cheered in drunken slurs. Some floated lazily above while others had begun to fall asleep on the floor.

"How long were we gone?" Asteria muttered. She looked at Perses revealing her disgust and hiding her shame. Just the night before she had been just as drunk as everyone in the room. Perses smiled but he looked up quickly and his expression was clear. He was uncomfortable. He knew he wasn't supposed to be here. Asteria realized that she had been too happy, too relieved, to see him that she didn't ask how he got here.

"Hh-ha-haaaaail" A drunken deity almost choked as he spat out the praise. Perses gently pulled Asteria closer before the drunk fell face first beside them. They walked forward, heading to the center of the room. As they did cheers began to fade. Only the nymphs kept dancing. They stopped when they reached the end of the sleeping crowd and were facing the throne. Zeus was sitting down while nursing a large goblet of nectar with a sleeping girl by his feet. By her long brown curls and slender face, Asteria new at once it was Athena.

_She's exactly the same, _she thought. Athena _was _the girl from Phoebe's vision. The question remained thou, did her birth mean the arrival of war? Asteria pushed the thought away. Just as she pushed her visions so many times before. She should be happy. She should rejoice. She was by Perses side, they had become one and soon they would announce the marriage, and be one for eternity. She should be happy.

"Asteria!"

She looked up at the sound of his voice. Zeus seemed to have snapped out of a daydream and now his bright smile shone through his redden face.

"Late for the celebration I see." He chuckled. He leaned on his knees and looked no more kingly than the drunk had when he fell.

"I'm here now." She replied. Zeus snickered as if she had said the greatest joke in all of Olympus.

"Yes! Yes, you are! Come, let's dance." Zeus sprang up, his goblet disappearing immediately. Asteria tensed up, knowing Perses was beside her. If a sober Zeus would have cared about that, drunk Zeus could care less. In a moment he had was pulling her by the hand and calling out to the nymphs.

"MAKE ROOM! WHERE'S THE MUSIC? COME ON, I GOT TO DANCE HERE!" He was yelling. Asteria could feel Perses' stare from where he stood. She looked over at him, and saw he was frowning and his eyes glowed. That was never good.

"Zeus, I really don't think-"

"Don't think!" He pulled her into him. "Just dance." He smiled, his face redder than ever. Asteria would have laughed at how ridiculous a smile that was. Maybe she would have even danced. Maybe, it was always maybe.

"Let go of my woman." Perses was suddenly beside Zeus. His jaw firmly set and yellow eyes glowing. The room was suddenly filled with a red buzz. Just as quick, the air crackled and Zeus' red face changed.

"Your woman?" He chuckled. He looked at Perses and stifled a laugh.

"You really want to do this?" He asked suddenly serious. Asteria tried to pull away, but Zeus' grip tightened. Perses growled.

"Let go Zeus." Asteria whispered. Zeus laughed.

"No, I'm not letting go."

Asteria wasn't sure what was worse, that Zeus was drunk and challenging Perses, or the way Perses stood in silence, fists clenched and eyes blazing. She didn't get a chance to decide. A blast came from behind the throne. Sending everyone near it in the air. Nymphs began to scream. The drunks were stirred from their sleep and thrown into a frenzy. Nectar was spilled. Flowers floated everywhere. Asteria had been blown away like the rest and now she was on her back and someone was pressing down at her.

"Stay here." Perses whispered, his dog eyes glowed and canine ears had sprouted on his head. He had shielded her from most of the blast. She looked around but nothing could be seen through the smoke. Perses' red aura only made it worse.

"Wait!" Asteria grabbed Perses arm as he began to stand. He looked her in the eyes.

"It wasn't me." Perses said. Asteria nodded.

"I know." He smiled, but his anger was still there it was only so long before he exploded too. A woman's shrill scream pierced the air. Another blast far away. Zeus' drunken voice hollered.

"ATHENA!"

More voices and shouts filled the air. A call to arms. Then another blast, this time from the side of the room. From it, water surged, covering the whole room. Perses helped Asteria up. Their barefeet now wet with salt water.

Poseidon's voice boomed. "ZEUS! IT'S TIME!"

Perses bolted towards the sound of Poseidon's voice. Asteria held him back by the hand. A tail had emerged now.

"Don't leave me." She pleaded. She was scared, she needed him.

"I have to, I gave him my word." Perses explained quickly.

"Poseidon?"

Perses nodded. Asteria was dumbfounded.

"You're going to help them? The Olympians?"

Perses was getting restless. He swayed from side to side. The chaos that was building outside wasn't helping. Asteria was sure it wasn't just screams she was hearing. Some were calls of war but most were snarls and other monstrous sounds.

"I have to go." Perses said. He was barely holding back. He took one last look at Asteria and whispered.

"This is for us." Then he was gone. Leaving a cloud of red smoke in his place.

"I love you." Asteria said. But she was alone. She scanned the room but it was a mess of smoke and rubble. The panicked screams had dimmed down, everyone having left the area either to run or fight. She was determined to be of use.

She walked towards the nearest pile of rubble, her skin beginning to glow white. It lighted the way through the smog. Asteria was soon running around the room, sometimes lifting a piece of marble or concrete to help a nymph trapped under it. Once she closed her eyes to see if her stars showed her anything useful. But her stars were blind behind Olympus' gates. She heard blasts at the distance and what must have been the clash of steel or celestial bronze? The difference wasn't much. All that mattered was that her vision was coming true. Zeus must be out there fending off hoards of monsters and Athena by his side. Right? Zeus had gone after her, he must have, he was her father…

Asteria surged forward heading for the site of the blast that had started it all. She pushed away the golden throne that miraculously was intact and searched. Too quickly, she found a hand. She dug it up and when the last piece of marble was away, there laid Athena. Safe. Asteria almost squealed with joy.

"Athena!" She raised the girl from sleep. _ Did she sleep through it all? _The young goddess coughed awake and her eyes searched for a familiar face.

"Father, where's father?" She asked nervously. She might of looked wiser than anyone Asteria knew but that didn't take away that Athena was a child. In the way she leaned in for support and kept asking for Zeus it was evident. For a moment Asteria didn't know what to say to the girl. After helping her back on her feet, she couldn't hold it in.

"I think your father's at war." Asteria said.

"War?" Athena's eyes sparked at the word. They went from frightened child to fierce warrior in an instant.

"Then I must go to him." The young goddess said. Asteria wondered whether to stop her. She had been born this same day and already she was heading for battle, but she held her tongue. She had already seen, no, felt what it was like for Athena to go to battle. It was natural for her to walk away, already armed, in search of her father. Asteria felt almost proud. Athena stopped her march, the smoke had cleared and light filtered through the broken walls. Morning had arrived. The girl turned around and looked at Asteria.

"I'm sorry, I almost forgot to say thank you. Thank you…"

"Asteria."

The girl nodded. "Thank you Asteria." Then she was gone. Already off to make her father proud. Asteria sighed. Then a thought came.

_Leto! How could I have forgotten! _Before she could start her search, the vision came like a punch to the stomach. It was short but painful.

_A girl with yellow eyes ran, she ran over the sky. A star kneeled in front of her. The girl hugged it and disappeared. The star stabbed itself. The dagger laughed. The dagger flew, then fell. A woman ran. She ran and a snake chased her, the snake laughed, the snake held the dagger. Darkness. Wings. Black on black, confused tears fell, a smile never to come. A grin appeared out of the darkness, the grin won. The grin and dagger were one._

Asteria gasped when it was over. Her eyes burned and her hair still floated around her. Her knees trembled, her fingers twitched but she remained standing. She couldn't fall apart now. There was one coherent thought she clinged to, even as she felt the pain of the dagger in her stomach.

_I have to find Leto._

The last person she expected to help her then was Aphrodite. She was wearing a silk dress and her hair was loose in red curls, her eyes were purple. She looked at Asteria with pity and looped her arm around her, starting to drag her away from the destroyed room. She sighed as they walked away.

"I leave Olympus on one little trip and all of Hades breaks loose. Typical…"

* * *

Leto staggered through the forest. She clung to the trees for support and her feet wavered with every step. She had tried to call the nymphs for help. But they weren't responding. Something was wrong. Something was wrong with the forest in the same way something was wrong with her. Leto had come to realize, she was dying. That was the only explanation she could find for the growing weariness, the pain that shot from every angle, and why she wasn't healing. What worried her most was the black. That's what she had begun to call it. It had started as the black key that had appeared on her palm, and then it had turned her palm black. It hadn't stop there. The black had spread all the way to her arm and chest. Now it was creeping near her stomach and hip. She wished it only changed the color of her skin, that it was something superficial. But the black was doing something. She was sure it was what caused her pain. It was the reason why she was dying.

Leto tripped over a branch. She fell on her knees and a frail whimper ripped out of throat. That's what was left of her, frail whimpers. Soon she wouldn't even be able to do that. She took a moment to breathe; letting her other senses distract her. The smell of fungi near her legs; the feel of moldy leaves by her feet; the sound of the nearby stream…

Thinking of water brought her back to the painful reality she was in. Just thinking about _him_ made her angry. Trust me, he had said. She was a fool, the moment they had been alone by his fountain, she had trusted him. What good did that bring her? All it had taken was a few smooth words, an honest look from his blue-green eyes and she was in. She believed him, when he promised to take her back home. He kept his word what she hadn't counted on was being left alone on the shore of Kos' beach.

Just thinking about it made her angry. Soon she would be too tired to be angry. It had taken her the whole night just to get this far in the forest. The moment she had begun to walk the pains had started. The black had begun to spread and now its pace was growing quicker than hers.

"Come on, you can do it." She whispered. Leto moved on, determined. Time passed like honey dripping from a spoon. She remembered tripping twice more. The fourth time she cried and on the fifth she made a discovery. Leto had thought she had tripped over another branch. But it was a foot. A foot. A… Leto blinked. Unsure if it was real. The foot was still there. _Is it a nymph's?_ Then Leto truly looked and was horrified.

"Mother?" Leto whimpered. Phoebe was passed out by a large tree. Her long hair limp and dead, her skin paler than ever and her eyes…they were red filled with blood.

"Mother! Wake up, wake up!" Leto threw herself at Phoebe, shaking her with what strength she had left.

"The Golden Age…Coeus…my daughters…" Phoebe mumbled. Her head rolled around as Leto shook her.

"Mother it's me!"

"Leto"

"Yes, it's-"

"Leto…Asteria…my daughters" Phoebe kept muttering gibberish. It broke Leto's heart to see her that way.

"No, mother, we have to get to the cottage." She tried to pick Phoebe up. But it was impossible. Phoebe was so tall and what strength Leto had left was waning. She ended up having to drag Phoebe through the forest floor. All the while Phoebe mumbled nonsense, and Leto thought. She thought about who would die first.

* * *

The room was still dark compared to the rest of Olympus. Soon enough rays of sunshine would filter through the turquoise curtains. Soon enough, Hera would become Queen. If everything went according to plan that is. It had been too easy. She all she had needed was a name here, a threat there and the need for vengeance. Then you had two titans determined to avenge what was left of their glory. After the revolt was set on motion all she had to do was give her brother's the key to success and wait. By now Poseidon must have recruited Destruction and once he faced his rebellious brothers the revolt will collapse. Poseidon will look victorious. Zeus will praise him and Poseidon will say the words that will complete everything.

"I'm sorry." Two words were all that it took and then she would be Queen.

"Soon enough Hera, soon everything will change." She whispered to herself.

"I see you're still hung over becoming queen of the mountain."

Hera turned from where she sat on her peacock feathered bed to face Eris.

"And you're still hung over your little death god." Hera replied. Eris grinned.

"At least I accept reality."

Hera frowned. "I don't, you mean?"

"What? You? Now why would you think I meant that? No, and before your sick little mind starts thinking that I'm against you, let me just say that I'm not. Why would I be against my favorite Olympian? Especially when all your ideas bring about chaos." Eris' words were like poison, Hera never could get used to it.

"Why are you here Eris?" She sneered, before standing up, and walking towards the window. Eris followed.

"Didn't I just say-"

"You haven't answered my question."

Eris' smile faded. She strode over to the window and ripped away the curtains. Revealing a scene of war. Titans versus gods. Monsters on both sides. Explosion here, clash of swords there. Everything contributing to a scene of utter chaos.

"This is why I'm here." Eris purred. "I'm here to bask in the wonderful sensation chaos brings to the air. I'm here to make sure that this battle becomes bloody and confusing. I'm here to see you squirm under the knowledge that this is your fault."

"You're wrong, this was that titan's idea." Hera lied. Eris laughed.

"So that's your plan? Blame it on a titan?" Eris cooed. She chuckled at Hera's angry expression. "You're just going to sit here and wait for the pieces to fall together. Well, isn't that typical. Don't get me wrong, it's understandable. I mean you're no warrior. Well there are no female warriors in Olympus, not until today at least. Besides you work better behind the curtain. Pulling the strings. Kind of like me." The last sentence hit the mark.

''I'M NOTHING LIKE YOU!" Hera yelled. She turned to smack Eris, but she wasn't there. Then she felt the breath on her neck and a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you sure? We're both after our brother. We both work at a distance. We both love power. Seems to me we're so much alike we could be sisters." Hera pulled free from Eris' grasp.

"You disgust me." She spat. Eris was floating in the air, her mist covering most of her body, for a moment resembling Nyx.

"Oh but if your nauseated by me, where does that leave you?" She gestured to the window. "Lie all you want but the truth is I have you to thank for that."

Suddenly the noise from the outside was louder and Hera could almost taste blood in her mouth. "I could make it worse. I could even ruin your precious plan." Eris words floated with her. "A whisper here, a dagger there and then you have Poseidon against Zeus."

Hera was starting to break a sweat.

"You wouldn't." She whispered. Eris cackled.

"Why not? The outcome would be beautiful. Chaos is beautiful."

Hera shook her head. "No, you won't do that. Not unless you want your death god hearing about what you did to his titan."

Eris smiled. "You mean poor little dying Leto? What could you possibly say about her?"

Hera smirked. "That you were the one that told Hades to take her as a bride."

For a moment Eris frowned and Hera felt victorious. For a moment… Eris' frown quickly turned to a look of mock pity.

"You must want that crown desperately to go so far as to threaten me." She chuckled. "The problem with that threat is that I could care less what Thanatos finds out. You see, three old hags made it very clear that he will never love me and I, unlike you, accept that. So tell him all that you want, you'll just help in the end. Because I just love to see him angry, it's so against his nature that it's chaotic really. So go ahead, go and whisper and I'll stay here and put an actual threat to motion."

Hera was speechless. Never had she felt so helpless when playing her own game.

"What? No more petty threats? What are you going to do Hera? A queen's supposed to know how to handle these type of situations. Oops, forgot. You're not a queen. Not even a princess. You're just a useless goddess, no title, no husband or lover. Not special in any way."

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" Hera screamed. She felt tears prick her eyes but was too proud to let them fall. Eris was silent, floating around the room leisurely. Then she floated to a stop and sighed.

"Haven't you listened at all?" She smiled, a wide and white smile that made Hera shiver. "I want chaos." Then Hera understood, she clenched her fist and held her head high. She wasn't happy but she understood. Hera's voice betrayed her strong demeanor. It quavered.

"What will you have me do?"

**A/N: After what seemed like a never ending writer's block, overload of stress because of finals and later summer classes, I'm finally back! Hope the wait was worth it, thank you for waiting btw :) well got to keep working on the next chap, remember that you can PM me or review if you have any questions and/or suggestions, and as always, Peace and love!**


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